The Trouble With Magic Is
by SquirlK
Summary: Continuation of 'Going Through The Motions'. Do vampires get migraines? Dawn needs to know. Getting really AU. COMPLETE! WOOHOO! For everyone wanting the sequel referenced in Chapter nine, please go to 'As I Will Be'. Thanks.
1. The Trouble With Magic Is

The Trouble With Magic Is...

Disclaimer: As usual, not owning anything. Joss, share, please? Don't sue, don't have pocket lint to pay with.

Summary: Do vampires get migraines? That's Dawn's question of the moment. Continuation of 'Going Through The Motions'.

A/N: Again I had a totally different plot and plan for this story but these people just do what they want, I have no control here. Ask the muse if you want answers.

Reviews: Sure, go ahead. Still have my super long stick, flames will toast marshmallows. Thanks to all past reviewers, y'all rock!!

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He wasn't aware he was being watched. He was so used to her presence that he never noticed anymore when she just sat quietly and watched him. Her blue eyes held worry in them as she sat pretending to read. He was sitting at the small desk balancing the checkbook and paying bills. That in itself was amazing. Such domestic tasks were not what one expected a vampire to do. But then, she mused, Spike was not a normal vampire. Something she had gone to great lengths to convince her friends of. She worried about him, a lot. He had been getting more and more irritable lately. She couldn't get him to open up and tell her why. A wince of pain flickered across his face, causing her to frown. She continued to watch as he put all his papers away. He picked up a leather bound book and began to write in it. She was only mildly surprised by the action. She had suspected he kept a journal but respected his privacy enough not to look for it. Apparently he forgot she was close by, or else he just didn't care anymore if she knew about it.

He rested his head on his right hand while he wrote with the left. Dawn wondered why he appeared to be in some pain. Did vampires get headaches? She knew he did but only after he caused the chip in his head to fire by hurting a human. But he was just sitting there quietly, surely that wasn't enough to set the chip off. He only wrote a few minutes before putting the book away. He pushed his chair away from the desk. She hurriedly looked back down at her book and pretended to be engrossed in the story.

Spike crossed the living room. He picked her feet up off the new sofa and sat down next to her, placing her feet on his lap. It was Friday night and they were having their usual Teenager/Vampire togetherness. Usual as in this was the second week in a row they had made time to hang out together.

"Sorry about the paperwork, Bit. Didn't get it done this morning. Slept in a bit and got behind in my schedule." The blond vampire said as he picked up his own book. They had decided that renting movies was a waste of money after they fell asleep the previous week during the first one on their agenda. They'd decided that catching up on their reading was of the good as long as they were together.

"It's cool, Spike. It's not like you had to go do something. You're still here and that's what counts. Gotta ask though, are you all right?" Dawn laid her book down on her chest as she looked up at him worriedly.

"I'm fine, Bit. Why?" Spike hid his nervousness. Did she notice? His head had been on the verge of exploding all day and he had done his best to keep it to himself. He didn't think it was the chip as the pain was not localized in the chip's vicinity. He didn't realize that his dark blue eyes revealed every bit of the intense pain pounding through his skull.

"Liar." She said bluntly. She took his book away and placed it with her own on the coffee table. She moved her legs out of his lap and sat up straight on the sofa. She picked up one of the new matching throw pillows and placed it so that it lay on her lap.

Spike smirked at her. "Hello. Vampire, Niblet. We lie." He watched her in bemusement. "What are you doing?"

Dawn grasped his arm and pulled him down so that his head rested on the pillow. He immediately tried to get up. She threw her arm across his chest, holding him in place. "Just relax, okay?" She said. He knew he could escape if he wanted but surprise held him still for the moment. She placed her fingers on his temples and began to massage them. He propped his feet on the opposite arm of the sofa and got comfortable. He closed his eyes. That felt sooo good. He could feel the pain receding just a little.

He took a deep unneeded breath. "How did you know?" He asked.

"It's in your eyes." She answered softly, continuing to rub small circles on his temples. "Is it the chip?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"I don't think so." He answered drowsily. "It's not centered back there. It's all over, my whole head is pounding." He gazed up at her with pain-glazed eyes. "Thought I was hiding it pretty well."

"As if you can hide anything from me. You dork." Dawn looked down at her vampire fondly. He was the big brother she'd never had and she adored him. "How long have you been getting these headaches?"

He closed his eyes again. "Three or four days. This is the worst one yet. Thought it was the chip cause it was just a mild ache. But today...." He trailed off sleepily.

"We have to go see Giles tomorrow and see if we can find out what's causing this." The teenager soothed him as he drifted off. She picked up the television remote from the end table and clicked it on, immediately muting the volume so it wouldn't disturb the sleeping vampire. Dawn sat quietly watching the silent television. Time passed slowly as she continued to comb her fingers through his curly platinum hair, gently massaging his scalp. He was being unnaturally still. As a vampire he was dead and therefore should have been still while sleeping, but he usually moved around a bit. He normally breathed while sleeping too, but he wasn't now. The stillness bothered her. She looked down at his handsome face.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, his blue eyes hazy and unfocused. "Niblet, I love you." He whispered, then slipped back into sleep.

Okay, now she was scared. She couldn't loose him too. It had been so close after Buffy died. He had almost left her. His grief had been so deep he'd nearly sunk into what vampires refer to as 'the dark'. Only Angel had been able to reach him and bring him back. Angel! That was it. She could call Angel, he would know what to do.

Carefully she eased out from under the pillow. Spike stirred and she shushed him by saying she needed to go to the bathroom. He drifted off again, frowning as the pounding in his head increased. Dawn quietly went upstairs and closed the door to her room. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number in LA that she knew well.

"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless. How may we help you?" Dawn recognized the voice as belonging to Cordelia.

"Hi, Cordelia. It's Dawn. Can I speak to Angel please?" Dawn spoke quietly as she was uncertain whether or not Spike could hear her. She doubted it but wanted to be safe.

"Sure Sweetie. Is everything okay there in Sunnyhell?" Cordelia asked. She motioned to Angel as he came into the room to see who was calling.

"Yeah, I guess. I just really need to talk to Angel." Dawn was getting nervous, she didn't like leaving him alone so long.

"Dawnie? It's me. Are you okay?" Angel took the phone.

Dawn sighed. "I'm fine. Spike's not. He's having headaches but they're not chip related. Can vampires get headaches? This one's almost like a migraine. He's in so much pain. The dork tried to hide it from me." She was almost in tears. "I'm so scared. I can't loose him."

"Hold on Honey, let me check on him real quick." Angel said without thinking.

Dawn looked at the phone in puzzlement and then shrugged. Vampires, always with the weird stuff.

In LA, Angel closed his eyes and opened the Sire/Childe link. Spike had been doing so well lately he hadn't used it much.

Cordy watched curiously for a moment then went back to her fashion magazine. All she wanted was for Wesley and Gunn to get back so she could go home.

Following the link, Angel winced at the intense pain his Childe was in. Activating the link should have wakened Spike but surprisingly hadn't. It was not a good sign. Being careful to not disturb the younger vampire, Angel used his senses to try to find the source of the pain. He found an enormous amount of magic surrounding Spike. Not magic that had been done to him but magic that had been practiced in the vicinity. Magic that Spike was not consciously aware of. Unfortunately. Angel knew that Spike was sensitive to magic. Too much of it near him gave him blinding headaches. Angel had forgotten that little quirk until now. He backed away gently, not wanting Spike to wake up and suffer from the pain even more. He closed the link. Angel opened his eyes and went back to the phone.

"Dawnie, this is very important. Who's practicing magic?" Angel asked grimly.

Dawn was shocked. "What? Magic? I mean Willow and Tara are both witches but they don't do that much magic here at home. What has that got to do with what's wrong with Spike?"

Angel sighed. "Dawnie, someone in the house is practicing a lot of magic. It's affecting Spike. He's sensitive to it. It gives him migraines, especially if he doesn't leave the area very much."

Dawn gasped. "He's been home a lot the last few days. He took some time off from work. Willow and Tara must be doing magic and not telling us. I thought they'd been extra quiet lately. How can we fix it?"

"You need to get Giles to do a cleansing spell on the house and dispel the magic. It can't wait until morning. Do you want me to call him?" Angel rubbed the back of his neck. There was a reason he didn't like witches. They were like gypsies, always up to magic. He'd thought Willow was different. Now she was endangering his Childe.

"Yes, please. I need to get back down to him in case he wakes up." Dawn was relieved Angel could help. She hung up and crept back downstairs.

Angel hung up then immediately picked it back up and called the former Watcher.

"Hello?" The sleepy British voice promised pain to the person waking him up.

Angel took a deep unneeded breath. "Rupert. It's Angel. Dawn needs your help."

Giles sat up in bed, turned on a light and fumbled for his glasses. "Angel? What? Why didn't Dawn call me herself?"

"She didn't want to wake up Spike. He's suffering from a migraine." Angel was interrupted before he could continue.

"A migraine? He hurt someone. Dear Lord." Giles got out of bed and began looking for clothes to put on.

"No. He hasn't hurt anyone. It's not a chip migraine. It's a magic migraine." Again the master vampire was interrupted.

"A what? A magic migraine? Now he's practicing magic?" Rupert sat on the bed abruptly.

Angel sighed. "He can't practice magic, I mean, he can but he doesn't. Now, stop interrupting and let me explain. Dawn called me to find out how a vampire could get a migraine. I checked on him and there's a lot of magic surrounding him. Not magic that was done to him, or that he's done, but it's around him. In the house. He's always been extra sensitive to magic. Which is why he doesn't do it. He has the capability. He's quite a good wizard actually. But he has to stay away from it. Dawn says he's been home the past couple of days, which allowed the magic to build up around him and give him headaches. Damn, I don't know if I'm explaining this right." Frustrated, he paced back and forth in his office.

Giles cleaned his glasses. "I think I understand. Spike is sensitive to magic. Tara, Willow or the two of them together are practicing magic in the house and it's giving Spike migraines. How can I help?"

"Do you have any cleansing spells to dispel the magic?" Angel asked.

"Yes, I believe I do. When do I need to do it?" Giles began gathering his clothes again.

"As soon as possible. Please. The pain he's in, well, I don't think he can last much longer. Dawnie is terrified. She realized how serious it was. I'm just glad she called me." Angel's worry began to show in his voice.

"I'll get right on it. Fortunately the book I need is here. Will she be expecting me? I don't want to call and cause more pain." Giles took his cordless phone downstairs and switched the lights on so he could locate the required book. He crossed to the book shelves and searched the old volumes quickly. "There it is." He murmured with satisfaction.

"You found the book?" Angel asked hopefully. "Yes, she's expecting you." He added.

"Yes, now I need to get dressed. I never really mastered doing that one-handed so I need to hang up now. Thank you for letting me know about this. I'll explain the problem to Willow and Tara tomorrow." Giles went back upstairs.

"Okay. Let me know how he is, please." Angel requested.

"You're not using the link?" Giles asked curiously.

"It would hurt him." Angel answered simply.

"I'll call you." Giles promised.

"Thanks." Angel hung up.

Giles hung up as well and changed his clothes quickly. He grabbed the needed book, a few supplies and left as fast as he dared. He arrived at the Summers home within a few minutes and used his key to quietly enter the house.

Dawn had turned down the lights and switched the television off. She had resumed her position with Spike's head once more in her lap so she could continue the massage that seemed to help. She looked up as the older man entered the house. In the gloom of the living room he could see the tears coursing down her face.

Giles switched on a light that would not shine directly on the sleeping vampire and set his things down on the table. He crossed over to the sofa and knelt by the ailing blond.

Spike stirred as he sensed the new presence and opened pain-filled eyes. "Rupert, what's up?" He whispered.

"Apparently the level of magic in the house." The Watcher answered softly.

Spike winced. "Bloody Hell. No wonder my head hurts." He murmured.

Giles nodded and rose. He went back over and unpacked his supplies. He lit candles and placed them in a small circle. He opened the book and searched for a moment. Finding the spell he needed, he quietly began to chant. After several long moments the candles flamed brightly and then sputtered out. He closed the book and returned it to the table. Crossing over to the sofa, he again knelt by the vampire.

"You should feel better soon." Giles said soothingly. He looked up at the teenager. "Dawn, are you all right?" He asked.

She nodded and wiped her face with a tissue from the box on the end table. "Is the magic all gone now?" She asked.

"Most of it. It's not possible to get rid of it completely. But the level should be tolerable now. What were Tara and Willow thinking? Practicing so much magic at home. How irresponsible of them." Giles ranted softly.

The platinum blond looked up at Dawn. "Hey, Bit, there now. I'll be good as new soon. Don't fret so." He reached up and wiped away a stray tear. He could feel the pain receding but knew it would be at least a day before it went away completely. He looked over at the older man.

"How did you know?" He asked.

"Angel called me." Giles answered.

"Peaches? How?" He trailed off and looked back up at Dawn. "You called him?"

She nodded. "I had to know how a vampire could get a migraine. I was scared. He knew what was wrong. I don't know how but he knew."

Spike and Giles exchanged a glance. They knew but weren't going to enlighten the girl. Spike was just amazed that the old poof had used the link without his knowing. He must have really been out of it. He rested his head against the pillow and closed his eyes for a moment. Opening the link, he assured his Sire the problem had been solved.

'Sire.' He thought.

'Will. Are you all right?' Angel asked quietly.

'Been better. Thanks for calling Rupert. Didn't know the witches had been doing so much magic. Would have stopped it.' Spike sent.

'You couldn't know. Get some sleep now. Give Dawnie a kiss. She really saved the day by calling me. Call me tomorrow.' The Sire ordered.

'Yes, Peaches.' Spike smiled as his Sire growled before closing the link.

"What's so funny?" Dawn was getting concerned about Spike's continued silence.

"Nothing Bit." Spike sat up and gave the girl a kiss on the cheek. "That's from Peaches."

Dawn looked at him confused. "You vampires are so weird."

"Yeah, well, I'm tired too. So let's go to bed, eh?" Spike glanced at the other man. "Staying the rest of the night, Rupert? New sofa's pretty comfy."

"I think I will. I need to talk to Tara and Willow as soon as I can so this doesn't happen again. Angel seemed to think you were in grave danger." Rupert said as he nodded.

Dawn sniffled. "That's why he was so adamant that you come over tonight." She threw her arms around Giles's neck. "Thank you." She said into his shoulder.

The former Watcher patted her back gently. "Any time." He said.

Spike got up from the sofa and went upstairs with Dawn. He waited until she was ready, then tucked her in. Giving her a kiss on the forehead he thanked her for taking such good care of him. She drifted off to sleep quickly, worn out from the stress of the evening.

Returning downstairs, he sat down for a moment in the easy chair. Resting his still aching head against the back, he gazed at the other man sitting on the sofa. "Could feel myself slipping away there, thanks for coming over, Mate."

Giles cleaned his glasses. "You didn't know they were practicing magic here?"

Spike shook his head. "Would've stopped it. I know what that stuff does to me. I'm surprised none of you ever noticed that I clear out when someone makes with the mojo. Just didn't make the connection this time. Started feeling bad three or four days ago but thought it was the chip acting up. Headache muddled my thinking. Niblet really saved my undead ass tonight. Just wish I knew what the stupid bints were up to."

"Where are they?" Giles wanted to know.

"I think they're at Xander's. They decided to clear out for the evening so Bit and I could hang together. Supposed to be back soon though. Don't want to see them so I think I'll go down to bed." The vampire said.

Giles nodded. "Good night Spike."

Spike rose and headed for the basement, detouring past the refrigerator for a package of blood. It would help get rid of some of the remaining headache.

Giles picked up the phone and called Angel.

It was answered before the first ring was finished.

"Rupert?" Angel asked.

"Yes, it's me. The problem has been fixed for now. I just have to warn Tara and Willow about using magic at home. And find out why they're doing it. Spike should be fine now. It may take a day or two for his headache to go away completely, it looked to be pretty severe." Giles said wearily.

"It was. Using the link to find out what was wrong gave me a little bit of a headache myself. I wouldn't want to be the one in that much pain. He would have just suffered with it until it got so bad he just slipped away to escape it. His consciousness would have been gone and we would never have gotten him back." Angel sighed. "He's such a dork." Then laughed when he realized what he said.

Giles laughed as well. "Sounds like something Dawn would say. He couldn't fool her. She always knows when something is wrong with him."

"I know, that's where I got it." The master vampire stood up from his chair and stretched. "I'm going to go patrol now. I feel the need to let out some stress."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Giles got up and went to the linen closet for some blankets. He made himself comfortable and waited for the witches to come home. He was on the verge of falling asleep when part of his first conversation with Angel came back to him. He sat up straight as what Angel told him clicked into place.

"Spike? A wizard? Dear Lord." Giles whispered into the darkness.


	2. There Are Always Consequences

...There Are Always Consequences

Disclaimer: Not a thing I can do about it. They're not mine. I just want some pocket lint.

Summary: Getting really AU here, Spike demonstrates his magic.

Reviews: Yes, please. Need to know if lovely people are reading my insane ramblings. Possessing really really long stick for flamey marshmallows.

A/N: These wonderful people just do what they want to in my little world so as long as they're good I'll let them play. Any other questions, please ask the muse.

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The argument got loud enough to reach both the basement and the upper level, waking the vampire and the teenager. Dawn reached the living room at the same time Spike did. She was still in her pajamas and he wore his black sweat pants. The vampire folded his arms over his bare chest and, leaning against the kitchen doorway, surveyed the scene.

Apparently the disagreement had been going on for some time. Giles was standing in front of the sofa red-faced and furious. Willow was standing on the other side of the coffee table equally furious. Tara stood off to the side obviously uncertain how to calm the combatants. It was the middle of the night, Spike and Dawn having only been asleep a couple of hours.

"I cannot believe that you are choosing to ignore this very serious problem. Obviously Spike's well-being is not important enough to you that you can't find a more suitable place to practice your spells." Giles was ranting.

Spike watched, amused as the redhead tried to come up with a good reason for her lack of consideration. He did give a moment's thought that she couldn't have known about his 'allergy' and didn't know it wasn't safe to practice magic at home. Still, she could have told him.

"I live here too you know. Why didn't he say anything? We could have fixed it for him before he got so bad. Why should we ask permission to do something that comes naturally to us?" Willow stated sullenly. "I'm just trying to get better at it so I can help with the patrolling and stuff. It's not like I'm trying to become super witch or something."

Rupert removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose if frustration. "Did you ever wonder why he never stays around when you're doing a spell? I noticed. I didn't think too much about it but now it makes sense to me. He can't be around so much magic. Why do you think he doesn't practice it?" He was so riled he didn't realize what he'd revealed until seconds after the words fell from his mouth.

Spike noticed several things at once; Dawn's open-mouthed stare in his direction, Giles's look of horror at his slip and Willow's head snapping back as if she'd been slapped. He ducked his head so no one would see the humor shining in his eyes. He knew he would pay dearly for it but couldn't resist. Steeling himself for the return of his headache, he unobtrusively wiggled his fingers where they were hidden in the crook of his arm. He was rewarded in two ways, the first was the twinge of pain shooting through his head and the other was the shower of rose petals that started falling from the ceiling like a blizzard.

"Want to see magic, Red?" Spike spoke softly in the stunned silence. "I can SHOW you some magic."

He watched as the living room became blanketed in fragrant rose petals in many different colors.

"Dru used to love it when I did that. She preferred it to a real snowstorm. It's one thing I can do that doesn't put me in agony. There are a couple of others but it's a little soon after last night's migraine to pull off anything else." He spoke a little dreamily as he watched the petals drift down to the floor. Another wiggle of his hidden fingers and the blizzard stopped. The blond wizard/vampire was now the center of attention.

"I don't need books, candles, potions, or wands. I don't even need spells. No words. I just picture what I want to do and, well, I can make it happen. Do you know what that feels like? It's amazing. I don't do it though because I discovered how addicting it was. I started getting headaches so bad I thought I'd have to decapitate myself to make it stop. Angelus is the one who saw the connection and made me stop. If I had known what you were doing, I would have explained. But you didn't tell me and I didn't see it. That's the problem with magic Red, there are always consequences." His quiet speech was met with silence.

Dawn waded through the surprisingly deep pile of rose petals to his side. She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Spike returned the hug and held her snug against his side. She rested her head against his cool bare chest and closed her eyes. He seemed so much better than he'd been earlier.

Giles couldn't help it. He started to laugh. He tried to stop but to no avail. He fell back onto the sofa and held his sides. Rose petals covered him as he hit the cushions.

Spike's dark blue eyes gleamed with humor and a touch of menace. "Rupert, if you're thinking what I suspect you are, don't say it. I'll find a way around this chip and rip your voice box out."

The older man made a supreme effort to control himself. "Relax, I wasn't going to say it. But... it is the obvious comparison."

"Very funny, Ripper." Spike gibed. He couldn't resist one more little demonstration. He twirled a finger in a circle and the rose petals lifted up from the floor and all the other surfaces they covered and began to dance around the humans. Tara giggled as the softness tickled her face. The higher up the petals swirled, the fainter they were until they disappeared completely, leaving behind only a vague scent. The warning twinge in his head got a little stronger and he decided that he'd played enough.

Dawn looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "Spike, that was incredible. Are you okay?"

The vampire gazed down at her fondly. "I'm fine Bit. Just the teeniest twinge warning me that enough is enough. Good thing it's Saturday. We can all sleep in. I think this discussion can wait until later. Everyone needs to get to bed." His statement brooked no argument, he did wait for one but happily didn't get it.

Willow stood staring at the blond wizard for a moment, her expression was hard for Spike to read. Without saying anything the redheaded witch turned and stormed up the stairs.

"Glenda, what's wrong with Willow?" Spike asked softly.

Tara looked up the stairs and then at Spike. "I'm not sure. How long have you been able to do that?"

The vampire smiled. "A very long time." He said simply.

She nodded and went upstairs.

Giles wondered about that but decided to wait until he could speak to Spike alone.

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Tara joined her girlfriend in their bedroom. "Willow, sweetie, what's wrong?"

Willow looked up from the bed. She'd flung herself down and buried her face in the pillows. "He could do it. Bring her back but he didn't. As powerful as he is, I can feel the power, can't you? Why hasn't he done it? Why didn't he bring her back?"

"Baby, you heard what Giles said. He can't do magic. It gives him migraines. You know how that is. Remember when we teleported Glory?" Tara rubbed Willow's back in an effort to calm her.

Willow glared at Tara. "He could get past that. We did. That's why we've been practicing so much. He can do it without practice." She laughed harshly. "He doesn't need 'books, spells or candles'. Goddess, he was bragging!"

The blonde witch shook her head. "I don't think he was bragging. He was just stating facts. You heard him say he was addicted. Once you give up an addiction the best thing is to not give in to it again. Bringing Buffy back will require an incredible amount of magic. I know you can do it. Are we still sure it's the right thing?"

Willow gaped at her lover. "Of course it's the right thing! She's in some hell dimension and we're going to get her out. As soon as Anya has that urn we're doing it. And we're not telling Spike."

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Downstairs, Spike, Dawn and Giles moved into the kitchen for something to drink.

Dawn set her glass of milk down and looked at two of her favorite men. Giles had made himself a cup of tea and Spike was downing a mug of blood to combat the mild magic headache.

"Do you need another cleansing spell done, Spike?" The brunette teenager asked anxiously.

"No Bit. I didn't do very much. That little trick requires very little magic. Used to I could keep that one going for hours. Dru loved it. Petals used to get really deep. Angelus hated it, said the smell made him sick." He snickered. "Never cared much for the smell either but I'd do it anyway to annoy him."

Giles smiled over his teacup. "That's always a good reason to do something."

Dawn nodded her agreement then yawned hugely.

"Okay, up to bed with you Niblet." Spike stood up and took her empty glass, placing it in the sink. She stood up and gave him a hug.

"Good night, Spike." She murmured.

He kissed the top of her head. "Night, Sweetling."

After the teenager left the room, Spike nodded toward the back door. "Going out for a smoke, coming?"

The former Watcher nodded. "Think I'll join you."

They settled into their normal smoking places on the back step with the tin can between them. Spike shared his smokes as Giles had given them up years ago. They puffed in silence for a moment.

"Harry or Draco?" Spike asked suddenly.

Giles snickered. "Draco." He answered. "It's the whole slicked back blond hair and the bad boy attitude. Couldn't help myself."

Spike snorted. "Draco's a wannabe. He doesn't have any real magic. Take away his wand and he's useless. He's a coward too, always going around with those brainless gits. Now Harry. He's got power. He was doing magic long before anyone put a wand in his hand. He was born with it."

Giles sobered. "How did you get your magic?"

Spike glanced at the Watcher through the smoke. "Want the truth or the fairy tale that Dru came up with?"

The older man laughed. "The truth if you don't mind."

The vampire took a deep unneeded breath. Where to start he wondered.

"Well, to be honest, I'm not really sure why it happened. But I do know when. We were in Romania. This was about six months before Peaches got his soul handed to him. We traveled the country just killing and generally being us. We went out to hunt one night and came on some travelers. We liked travelers, they always had money and clothes we could steal. Anyway, we came on some travelers; one of them was a really old man. He looked older than history. He was human though, could tell that much. Being the baby of the group, I always got last pick in the prey. So they left the old man to me. Angelus preferred sweet young girls to nibble on. The girls weren't really picky but none of them really liked old people. I was really hungry, always was in those days, so I didn't hesitate. While I was draining the old guy dry he started chanting. He finished the chant with his last breath. Gave the old guy credit for bravery. What a rush that was. The power just flowed through my veins. The next day the magic began." Spike paused to light another cigarette, having finished the other one during his narrative.

Giles was fascinated. This was not one of the many stories archived in the Watchers Council library involving the famed Scourge of Europe.

Spike noticed the other man's expression and grinned. "New story eh?"

Giles nodded. "Continue, please."

The vampire tilted his head, thinking. "I figured out later that the old guy wasn't just a human. He was a very old, very powerful wizard. Did a little checking after Angelus left and found out who he was by digging into the local gypsy lore. It seems we were set up. The old man was ready to die and didn't want his power to die with him so he set up an easy target for the vampires that he'd heard were terrorizing the area. He did his research and knew that the others would likely leave him to me." Spike paused again, reflecting on that turning point in his unlife.

The former Watcher was stunned. "He CHOSE you?"

The blond laughed. "Boggles the mind doesn't it?"

Giles could only nod.

Spike stood up. "I need a beer, want one?" Again a nod. "Be right back."

Returning in seconds, he sat back down and opened both cans, handing one over to his companion. He took another deep breath and picked up the story. "What the old guy didn't realize, or else he didn't care, was that the magic wasn't mine so it wasn't compatible. It was supposed to die with him so it could be reborn in his descendants. Yeah, it was great for a while. But the effect it had on me was not what it would have been if the magic had been mine by birth. Damn, it was so good. The power. The ability to do what ever I wanted just by thinking of it. I couldn't, wouldn't change the natural order of things like life or death. Wouldn't dream of using the power to bring someone back." He bowed his head, thinking of his beautiful slayer and how he wished he could use his power to get her back, but it would have been wrong. "If I were a little more selfish..." He began. Then shook his head.

Giles bent his head as well. He could understand. The magic required to bring her back would be more dangerous than anything he could imagine. "You're absolutely correct. I'm proud of you for realizing the dangers."

"I couldn't change myself, not that I really wanted to change being a vampire, nor could I change Dru. Never wanted to, loved her just as she was. But, the power, it was too much. It started to give me headaches. I ignored it for a while but then it got to where I was down for days after doing the simplest bit of magic. I won't say spells cause I never needed them. Angelus figured it out and made me stop using the magic all together. It saved my unlife, stopping the magic. It got to the point that I forgot I had it. Haven't paid attention to it or used it in almost a century." He finished.

Spike downed a long swallow of his beer and stubbed out his cigarette. "I knew Red was doing magic. I picked up on it a couple of weeks ago. I just didn't notice she was doing it here and didn't realize that it had built up in the house. It kind of snuck up on me and laid me out before I knew it." He sighed. "It would be so easy to bring up the magic again. It's never going to go away. But the temptation..."

"Needs to be resisted at all costs." Giles finished softly. The platinum blond head nodded sadly. "How strong is the power?" Giles asked.

"Virtually limitless." Was Spike's shocking answer.

"I know Willow is aware of how much power I have. I just don't want the rest of them to know." Spike looked over at the other man. A sudden thought occurred to him. "How did YOU know?"

Giles cleaned his glasses. "Um, Angel told me. He was trying to get me to understand why you had a migraine and it slipped out. I don't even think he realizes he said it. But he didn't tell me how much power you had. He just said you were a good wizard."

Spike nodded. "Thought it might be something like that. He doesn't know how deep the power goes. The old Poof never was any good under pressure. Can't keep a secret to save his soul."

Giles laughed. He'd noticed Angel's tendency to let his brain disengage when stressed.

Spike finished his beer. Standing up, he stretched. Reaching his hands far above his head and standing on his toes, he tried to get the vertebra in his back to pop.

Giles watched the young vampire, idly sipping the last of his beer. He choked, his green eyes nearly popped out of his head. Spike was floating!

"Spike...." Giles began.

"Yeah Mate?" He answered.

Rupert cleared his throat. "You're floating."

Startled, Spike looked down. Sure enough there was at least three inches between his bare feet and the ground. Pulling his arms down to his sides, he forced himself to sink down to the ground. "Bloody Hell! Let the sodding cat out of the bag for a little bit and it starts to sneak out thinking it can just do what it wants. No Damn It! I WILL NOT GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN!"


	3. And They're Not Always Care Bears And Ca...

And They're Not Always Care Bears And Carousels

Disclaimers: Still owning nothing. Pocket lint sold out everywhere.

Summary: The morning after Spike's demonstration everything is not as good as it could be.

A/N: Hard chapter to write. These guys can't decide if they want a big magical showdown or a peaceful resolution. Sorry about the title, just wanted to stick two of my favorite things in there somewhere.

Reviews: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed. Y'all rock. jonnyG, sorry but no Spike/Dawn romance just lots of sibling love and support there. Doesn't mean Buffy can't get jealous about how close they are but I'm not sure this fic is going to stretch that far. As always reviews welcome, feeds the muse. She has no life so give her some warm fuzzies.... or not.

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No one stirred in the Summers house until well after noon. The stresses and disagreements of the previous night had worn out all of them. Dawn was the first to get up and silently went to the kitchen to get something to eat. A fleeting smile crossed her face as she passed through the living room. It was just like after 'that night' when they were all in the house to give each other comfort and support. At least Giles looked as if he were more comfortable than he had been on the old sofa. It had taken her and Spike the better part of a weekend to find a new sofa. The main requirement being that it had to be comfortable enough to sleep on.

The teenager got herself a bowl of cereal and sat at the table to eat and contemplate the events of the previous night. The last thing she would have ever guessed Spike being capable of would have been magic. That little bit with the rose petals had been incredible. She had known all along that he was different. She just hadn't realized the extent of just how different he actually was. Who would have thought?

She looked up from her nearly empty bowl as the basement door opened. Spike entered the kitchen yawning and stretching, causing his sweat pants to ride dangerously low. She gave a little squeak and covered her eyes. The vampire looked startled to see her and glanced down to find out what the problem was.

"Oops, sorry Bit. Didn't know you were in here. Thought you'd still be snoozing." Spike said as he returned his pants to a proper level. He padded over to the refrigerator on bare feet and got out a package of blood. "I need more blood. Remind me to go to the butchers later, okay?" He requested as he searched for his favorite mug. For some reason it couldn't be put away in the same place each time it got washed.

She nodded as she put her empty bowl in the sink. She turned her back to the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. Watching him silently as he dumped his blood in the mug and put it in the microwave, she tried to determine if he was fully recovered from his migraine. He looked up at her giving her a clear look at his sparkling dark blue eyes. No hint of the extreme pain he'd been in the night before.

"How are you, really?" Dawn asked worriedly.

He got his mug out of the microwave and took a sip of the heated blood. "I'm fine, Niblet. There's just the smallest bit of ache in the back of my head but nothing I can't ignore. It'll be gone completely by tomorrow." He shook his head. "If I hadn't been playing with magic, I wouldn't even have that much." He sighed. "But I had to show off." The master vampire snickered. "Did you see the looks on their faces when the petals started to fall?"

The teenager giggled. "Yeah, I don't know who was more shocked, Giles or Willow. How did he know anyway?"

Spike made a face. "Peaches."

She nodded sagely. "Never tell him anything you don't want to eventually leak out."

Her vampire agreed. "You'd think I'd learn that after a century."

"Some people just never learn." Dawn said earning a menacing glare.

"Watch it. You're not too old to tickle." He threatened as he headed back to the basement.

"Yeah, yeah. Big threats." She stuck her tongue out at him as he disappeared through the door. She picked up the milk and opened the refrigerator to put it away. But couldn't, every bit of available space was taken. She closed the door hurriedly.

"SPIKE! Get your undead behind up here!" She yelled, not caring who she disturbed.

The blond burst through the door in full game face ready to take on whatever was threatening his Little Bit. Seeing no threat he shook himself back to his human visage. "Bloody Hell Bit, you scared the unlife out of me. What's the matter?"

Dawn opened the refrigerator and showed him the contents. "Thought you said you needed to go to the butchers."

Spike gawked at the overfull shelves of blood packets. He grabbed one and ripped a small hole in it. He closed his eyes as the sweet taste of O-positive human blood drifted along his tongue. He shuddered in pleasure and determinedly shoved his demon back, not letting it take control.

Giles ran in from the living room, tucking his shirt into his slacks. He stopped cold at the sight of the overfull refrigerator and the vampire obviously savoring the forbidden taste of human blood. "What happened?" He asked. Spike's eyes flashed yellow, warning the other man to keep his distance.

Spike lowered the bag and dropped it, still mostly full, into the sink. He closed his eyes to rid them of the hint of amber showing. Opening his blue-again eyes, he inhaled deeply.

"Cat got out again." He said woodenly. "Have to shove it back in." He held his hand up to the open refrigerator and all but a couple of the packages disappeared. The partial bag in the sink vanished as well. "Sorry, Bit. Should have room in there now. Have to change clothes." He went back into the basement.

Dawn put the milk away and sat down at the table with Giles as he also took a chair. "What did he mean? What cat?"

"I believe he was talking about the magic. Since he used it last night, he seems to be having some difficulty controlling it." Giles took his glasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on. He used his hands to bring some semblance of order to his hair.

"That's not a good thing is it?" Dawn asked in a small voice.

"No, Dear. It isn't." Giles answered. Further conversation was forestalled by the arrival of Willow and Tara in the kitchen.

"Dawnie, are you okay? We thought we heard you yell." Willow asked as she looked around the room.

"I'm fine. Spike just forgot to do something before he went back downstairs." The teenager explained. "I didn't mean to scare everyone. Glad to know if I need help the troops will come." She said too brightly.

Tara put the teakettle on the stove to heat water, earning her a grateful glance from the former watcher. She moved around the kitchen collecting cups and teabags as Willow sat down next to Dawn.

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In the basement, Spike was pacing back and forth talking to himself.

"Get a hold of yourself, Mate. You beat it once. You can do it again. Just watch what you say. Do what Peaches told you. Visualize putting the little beast back in its bag and tie it shut. You can do this. Don't let it take you again." He stopped pacing and sat on the bed, concentrating. He mentally turned inward and imagined himself grabbing the little black cat he'd assigned his magic to and stuffed the spitting menace back in its bag. With mental hands shaking, he tied the bag shut and threw it into the farthest corner of his mind. Never noticing the small hole worn in the seam of the magical containment.

He took a deep unneeded breath and stood up. He changed his clothes, noting with dismay how unsteady his hands actually were. He heard the teakettle start to whistle and knew it was time to go upstairs. He used his senses to find out who was in the kitchen and was dismayed to find out everyone else was up. Thank God the Whelp and his Demon Girl weren't involved in the whole mess. He didn't think he could handle any more people knowing about his problem.

Gathering his nerve and stuffing his feet into his worn boots for courage, somehow he always felt braver if he could stomp, he went back up to the kitchen.

He paused at the top of the stairs to listen, trying to suss out the mood of the witches before facing them.

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Tara poured boiling water into the three waiting teacups. Dawn got up and got her own form of caffeine by getting a cola from the now spacious refrigerator. No one said anything for a few moments. During that time Spike decided it was safe to come in. Opening the door, he sauntered in trying for some small measure of his self-confidence.

"Glenda, is there a cuppa for me?" He asked as he sat down in the chair on Dawn's left side. He quickly stuck his still trembling hands under the table and gritted his teeth trying to maintain his composure. The teenager was the only one who noticed the tremors and looked up at him in concern. She surreptitiously slid her left hand under the table and encased Spike's shaking fingers in her own warm grasp. He glanced at her sharply before giving her a wink and a small shake of his platinum head. She gave a tiny nod and calmly took a sip of her soda. Tara slid a cup of tea in front of him, earning a nod of thanks. She sat down next to Giles on the other side of the table.

Bolstered by his Niblet's support, Spike felt confident enough to reach up and take a sip of his hot tea. Gratified that his hand didn't shake, he left it on the table and kept his right hand in Dawn's steadying hold.

Looking around he noticed that the others were avoiding looking his way. Willow kept her eyes trained on her teacup and Tara was watching her girlfriend with concern in her eyes. Giles sipped his tea while observing Willow's behavior. The silence became unbearable.

"Right then, everyone who has questions, speak now." Spike said with more than a little humor in his voice. Suddenly everyone's attention was on him.

Dawn was the first to speak. "Could you use the magic to get rid of the chip?" Giles got a look in his eyes that made everyone uncomfortable. "What? You think he'll kill us all in our sleep?" She demanded.

Spike gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "No, I never considered it. I haven't used the magic in almost a century. I forgot I had it. The chip doesn't matter anymore anyway."

Tara shyly spoke up. "Have you ever tried just using a little bit at a time until you've built up a tolerance and didn't get headaches any more?"

Spike considered the question. "Actually, I did. But since the magic wasn't mine to begin with, it fights me every step of the way. It's easier to just not use it."

"Then why did you use it last night?" Willow demanded.

"That was an impulse that I'm regretting even now. I won't go into any details." Spike looked into his cup of tea soberly. "Red, magic has consequences, always. They're not always good ones. Magic can't be controlled as much as you'd like. It can get away from you and cause unimaginable problems. You're getting strong, wicked strong. I hope you have better luck controlling your magic. It's yours not someone else's, it wasn't given to you in some misguided attempt to cheat fate."

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.

"Long story, Bit. I'll tell you another day." Again, he gently squeezed her fingers, grateful for her support.

Giles sipped his tea and listened. He had more questions but preferred to wait until he and Spike were alone to ask them.

Willow sat with her anger simmering just beneath the surface. She could not believe he was sitting there lecturing her on magic. He had all that power and didn't use it. What a waste! She had more control over her magic than ever before. She knew it would be a matter of time before her power was stronger than his. She could feel it building every day. She controlled her temper with some effort and made herself smile at every one at the table. "There's not much more to talk about is there? Does anyone want something to eat?"

Dawn gazed at the redheaded witch uncertainly. She knew Willow had to have more questions but didn't want any more disagreements. Having all the people she loved fighting was more than she could bear.

Spike's dark blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. He could feel the animosity rolling off of Willow in waves. Her over bright attitude grated but he was willing to let it go for the moment. He glanced at Giles to gauge the former Watcher's reaction to Willow's attitude. The older man was studying the witch carefully. He hadn't been fooled by the bright smile any more than Spike had.

Unknown to Spike, deep in the corner of his subconscious mind, the magical containment bag moved. A small black paw found its way out through the worn hole. It began worrying the seam trying to widen the opening. It would only be a matter of time.


	4. Then Things Get Really Scary

Then Things Get Really Scary

Disclaimer: All out of pocket lint jokes, and I still own nothing.

Summary: Spike's magic is getting a little hard to handle.

A/N: Was going to have a nice calm ending in this chapter but it didn't happen. These people are really hard to control.

Reviews: Yes, please. Need to know people are reading the insane ramblings. Thanks to all past reviewers, y'all rock!!

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Dawn cornered Spike in the basement. Lunch was over. The dishes washed and put away. Giles had gone to his own apartment with promises to return to talk to Spike later. The tall brunette teenager stood blocking the staircase with her thin arms folded across her chest. Spike was sitting on his bed smoking a cigarette in a feeble attempt to get her to leave. Willow and Tara had gone over to Xander and Anya's house to avoid any more discussions about magic.

"Okay, Mister. Spill it. What's with the shaky hand syndrome? Are you all right?" She tilted her head as she looked at the blond vampire.

Spike closed his eyes. She was getting far too adult lately. That was the problem with teenagers, they grew up. Opening his eyes, he stubbed out his smoke. "Come here." She rushed across the floor and snuggled up to him. As they sat up against the wall, she rested her head against his shoulder and took his hand in hers. He told her the same story he'd told Giles the night before ending with his levitation and how startled he was to see all the blood in the refrigerator.

"Didn't that old guy know that the magic was supposed to be passed down to his own family?" Dawn asked.

"I don't think he cared. I really don't know what he was thinking. I just wish he'd not done it. It's caused me more problems." Spike told her quietly. "You know Willow's jealous don't you Bit?" He asked.

"Yeah, I caught that. Wish I knew what she was up to. It can't be good though. She doesn't need to build up so much magical power just for patrolling. She doesn't patrol anyway. You and the Buffybot do that." Dawn answered. She felt the uncontrollable shudder running through the vampire at the mention of the robot.

"All this does not explain why you were all with the shaky hands. What happened down here that shook you so much?" Dawn played with his pale cool fingers.

"Was hoping no one would notice that." He said. He told her about the visualization technique that Angel had taught him and how he was unsure he could continue to contain the magic. "It's secure enough for now and I think it will stay that way, but...." He trailed off.

"We'll handle it. Together." Dawn assured him.

Spike stiffened suddenly. "Someone's upstairs." He stilled, listening. "Bloody Hell, it's the Whelp."

Dawn stood up. "Come on, we'll handle it." She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Okay, hold up your hands." She instructed.

He grimaced and held up his hands as ordered. They were still, no tremors in evidence. "All right." Dawn cheered. "Let's go up and see what he wants."

The two made their way upstairs to the kitchen just as Xander came into the room. He paused at seeing them.

"Oh Thank God. I was beginning to think something was wrong. What with the front door being unlocked and no one around. Where were you guys?" Xander took a deep relieved breath.

"We were downstairs talking. What's up?" Dawn went over to Xander and gave him a big hug.

He returned her hug. "The boss was asking if Spike was coming back to work tonight or if he needed another day or so off. He really likes you, no accounting for taste, but we have to cover your shift if you're not coming in." Xander looked at Spike as he finished speaking.

The blond vampire cast a panicked look at Dawn. Xander caught the look and immediately suspected all was not cool in the Summers house. It wasn't often that Spike got a trapped expression on his face but it never boded well when he did. "Okay, what's going on?" His brown gaze bounced from vampire to teenager and back again.

"Nothing." Dawn squeaked as she went back to stand beside Spike.

"Riight." Xander drawled. "I have a pissed off witch and her girlfriend in my apartment and a nervous vampire in front of me. Nothing could possibly be wrong. Now spill it." He leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest, obviously not going anywhere in a hurry.

Dawn gave Spike the tiniest of nods. The blond fixed Xander with a glare. "Say one word wrong and I'll find a way around this chip and bite you." He growled. The taller man nodded once, unfazed by the threat. They moved over to sit at the table. With many interruptions and several more threats of violence, Spike and Dawn caught Xander up on the events of the past couple of days. Having Xander and Anya know about his problem was not what Spike had wanted but he'd found out long ago that there weren't many secrets among the Scoobies.

"Wow. Does this mean I can call you Draco?" Xander asked with a smirk.

"Only if you want to walk around on broken legs." Spike warned.

"Just kidding. Don't like the little creep. So what are we going to do about this? Are you sure you have it contained? I'll tell the boss that you need a couple more days off. That you have the flu. If you're feeling more secure by then we'll put you back on the schedule. We just can't have any magical mistakes at the site. That would put us all in danger." Xander said.

Spike nodded.

Dawn looked relieved that Xander was so accepting of Spike's problem. She really needed to know something. "Do you know what Willow's up to? She and Tara have been spending an awful lot of time at your place lately. I can't figure out what she needs all that magic for."

"I spend all my time in our room watching TV while the girls are there. Anya has been monopolizing all Willow and Tara's time. I don't know what they're planning. If anything." Xander stated carefully.

Spike sent a sharp look at the other man, something was not quite right with the phrasing but couldn't put his finger on it.

They all looked up as Giles came into the room.

"Hey, G-man. How are you? Understand you've had quite a bit of stuff going on." Xander greeted the Scoobies' father figure.

"Don't call me that." Giles said tiredly. "Yes, it has been quite eventful. How did you find out?"

"I came over to find out when Spike was coming back to work and he got the 'deer in headlights' look. I made them tell me what was up." The young man explained.

"I see." Giles said mildly. "Have you decided when you can return to work?" He asked the young wizard.

Spike shook his head. "Xander and I decided to give me a couple of days to make sure I have the little bugger under control."

"Yeah, it would be seriously bad if any magical mistakes happened at the site. So Spike here is on sick leave for a couple more days." Xander added.

"That's good. Spike needs to be certain that he has the magic contained before he can go back to his normal activities. Have you had any more problems?" Giles asked.

Dawn shook her head. "We've been together since the rest of you left. I haven't seen anything happen."

Spike agreed. "No problems here. So far." He sat back and closed his eyes, relaxing for the first time in hours. He felt a sense of dislocation as his subconscious dragged him down.

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He was shocked to see the containment bag where he'd flung it in the corner. He could see a small black paw sticking out of the hole. To his horror, the hole ripped open some more. It would not be long before the magic was completely free and, with the hole in the seam, there would be no way to keep it contained.

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Dawn gasped as Spike slumped down in his chair. He started to slide sideways and fall to the floor. Xander and Giles jumped to catch the unconscious vampire before he hit the hard tile. They laid his limp body down gently.

"What's wrong with him?" The teenager asked fearfully.

"I don't know." The former Watcher murmured as they knelt next to Spike's prone form.

Xander looked up. "Dawnie, get a cold washcloth." He instructed.

She rushed to the sink to comply, returning in seconds. She handed the icy cloth to Xander and watched as he put it across Spike's forehead. Cold droplets trickled down the sides of the pale face. An unneeded gasp shook the young vampire as his eyes shot open. Panicked, he tried to get up.

"Easy now. Stay right there for a minute." Giles pressed a hand to Spike's chest to keep him down for another moment. "Get your bearings before you try to move."

Xander placed a hand on Spike's shoulder as the blond looked around frantically. "Giles is right. Don't try to move yet. It's okay, we're here."

Calming somewhat, Spike gazed up at his companions. Fear shot through his body as he remembered what he'd seen. His dark blue eyes reflected that fear clearly, shocking the three humans looking down at him. Taking a deep unneeded breath, he slowly sat up. Xander supported him as he rose. Giles knelt in front of him as Xander shifted behind him.

"Spike, are you okay?" The Watcher asked softly. Spike nodded, still unspeaking. He was afraid to, afraid that the magic was loose and ready to wreak havoc on his life again. Giles grasped the cool slender hands while Xander braced him from behind. Together they got the shaky vampire to his feet and helped him back into his chair.

Dawn placed a fresh mug of blood in front of him. He gave her a grateful glance but refused to speak. "Spike, tell me what's wrong." She pleaded, tears in her big blue eyes. He gazed up at her, terrified that if he spoke and said something without thinking, terrible things would happen. The magic was getting free and he didn't know how to stop it again. His terror shone in his sapphire gaze, he opened his mouth but couldn't force any words out. His mouth snapped shut and he looked down at the table. He couldn't say anything. Shaking badly, he lifted the mug with both hands and drank deeply.

Giles observed the blond's behavior with concern. Obviously, he was terrified. Something must have happened with the magical containment. It disconcerted the older man to see a master vampire such as Spike struck silent with terror. Obviously, a new strategy was needed to help the young wizard control his power.

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In L.A. Angel froze in the middle of his sentence. He'd been talking to Fred and Gunn when a feeling swept over him. His friends looked at him curiously. The brunette vampire closed his eyes and opened the link between himself and his Childe. Waves of terror washed over the older vampire. Shaking with the effort to contact his stricken Childe, Angel sent comforting messages to Spike. His Childe was too panic riddled to acknowledge the contact. Closing the link, Angel opened his eyes.

"Get Wes and Cordy in here. We're going to Sunnydale."


	5. Until Reinforcements Arrive

Until Reinforcements Arrive

Disclaimer: No pocket lint anywhere, must be a curse. Without pocket lint there's nothing.

Summary: Angel has come to help Spike whose power is building and needs to be controlled. Will they be able to save him?

Reviews: Yes please. Hey guys? Can someone please go r&r 'And This Lasts How Long?' so you can tell me what's wrong with it? I don't think anyone liked it but I can't fix it if I don't know what I did wrong. THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE GREAT REVIEWS!

A/N: Loving all the great feedback I've been getting. Keeps the muse happy, she really has no life. Don't know where this is going but the ride should be interesting. These people are still not sharing what they're going to do next so I guess we'll all find out together.

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Wesley and Cordelia rushed into the office where Angel was pacing agitatedly. Fred had retreated back upstairs to her room, as she was still wary of straying too far away from the safety of her own space.

"Angel, what's wrong?" Wesley asked.

"I don't know for sure. Spike's in trouble. I can't reach him. We need to go." Angel said, heading for the door.

Cordelia grabbed his arm. "We have to wait until dark. You'll do him no good if you're a big pile of dust."

The tall vampire looked down at her. "You're right. The instant that sun is down, we're going."

"Have you contacted Rupert?" Wesley picked up the phone, fairly certain that he already knew the answer.

Angel had the grace to look down. "No, go ahead. See what he knows."

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Giles answered the ringing phone in the Summers kitchen. "Hello, Summers residence."

"Rupert, I'm glad you're there. It's Wesley. Angel seems to think there's a problem with Spike." The younger ex-watcher said.

"Wesley." Giles turned around to gaze at the vampire in question. The blond had panic written all over his face. "Angel is, again, quite right. There does seem to be a problem. Yes, he's right here." He added in response to Wes's enquiry into Spike's whereabouts.

Wes looked over at Angel. "He's there."

Angel took the phone away. "Let me speak to him." He said to Giles.

"I can give him the phone but he seems to be unable to speak at the moment." Giles told the older vampire.

Giles walked slowly over to the table. He held the phone out to Spike, who looked at it as if it were a cross. The older man gently put the receiver into Spike's hand.

Xander and Dawn looked on with concern as the phone shook on its journey up to his ear. He opened his mouth but still couldn't make a sound.

They could hear Angel speaking. "Will, I know you can hear me. Calm down. It's okay. I'm coming as soon as it gets dark." Spike closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "I need to know what happened. Talk to me." He commanded, in full Sire mode.

Spike tried again to speak but failed. With his eyes still closed, he opened the link. This time Angel was able to reach the younger vampire. 'Will, tell me what's wrong.'

'Sire, it's getting out. The magic. I can't stop it. It will hurt people if I let it loose. It's stronger than I told you it was. There's no limit to this power. It will take me over and I can't stop it.' The young wizard pleaded.

'Will, we're coming. I'll help you. We can beat this. Just hold on.' Angel sent assurances to his panicked Childe. He spoke aloud. "Give the phone back to Rupert."

Spike opened his eyes and held the phone out to the older man, his tremors a little less violent than they were before. Giles listened as Angel explained the problem. "Yes, I suspected as much. I'm sure there's a solution. We'll see you soon." Replacing the receiver, he sat down next to Spike.

Making sure he had Spike's full attention, Giles spoke quietly. "Spike, I'm beginning to believe that containment is no longer an option. We have to help you gain control of your power. That's the only way. The magic needs to become part of you. You need to accept it as part of your natural abilities. That means you need to use it. Don't let it use you. You have denied having your power for too long. Do you understand?"

Terror filled blue eyes wandered from one human to the next. Didn't they know what they were asking him to do? He could only see compassion and concern on their faces. He began to calm down. His Sire was coming and like a small child, he felt that would fix everything. Didn't they know that in vampire years he was still very young? Sure, he'd killed hundreds of people and two slayers, but then he was just trying to keep up with his family. He could feel the power starting to stretch out into his system. He could almost imagine the little sparks of electricity coursing through his veins. Could he use the power without losing himself? He was a lot older than the twenty year old fledge that he'd been when he'd been cursed, yes, cursed with the magic. Forcing the terror back, he looked at the former Watcher.

Giles watched the myriad of expressions cross Spike's face. He could tell the vampire was still afraid of the scope of his power but realization was also dawning in the deep blue eyes. He hadn't a clue what had actually happened the last time Spike's magical power had been given full rein. But, judging by the young wizard's terror, it couldn't have been good. The final expression on Spike's face was one of resolve. Rupert allowed himself the small amusement that Spike's resolve face would rival Willow's at any time.

Spike wondered at the spark of humor gleaming in Rupert's green eyes.

Xander noticed the 'resolve face' as well and allowed a small smile to grace his own face. He let out a little sigh of relief. "I knew you weren't going to flake on us." He told the blond. The glare he received was well worth the gibe. That meant Spike wasn't lost to them. The intense hatred he'd once felt for the chipped bloodsucker had softened over the summer to an occasional bout of irritation.

Dawn was the first to realize that Spike still hadn't spoken. She reached over and took his hand, on top of the table this time. She could feel the tremors still running through the slender fingers. "Come on now. I need you to talk to me. We need to know how we can help you." She watched closely as Spike visibly attempted to speak.

He swallowed, licked his lips and took a deep breath. Clutching Dawn's fingers, he concentrated on overcoming his hysterical muteness. "I'm hungry." He said almost inaudibly. Instantly his mug filled itself with fresh blood. The vampire looked at it, startled, then wrinkled his nose. Staring at it for a moment, the surface of the red liquid shimmered for a fraction of a second. A sigh of both relief and regret escaped. A smile quickly followed the sigh. He gazed at Dawn. "I did it. I controlled it." He marveled very quietly. She beamed at him.

Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Relief flooded through his being. A smile lit his face. It was a good beginning. He knew, even if the others didn't, what Spike had just accomplished. The mug had initially been filled with human blood and Spike had changed it. He'd resisted his natural instincts and rejected the lure of the original contents in favor of the less appetizing animal blood. Giles watched as the blond sipped the nourishment. They still had a very long way to go but it was indeed a very good start.

Xander caught the former watcher's attention and motioned his head toward the living room. They quietly moved into the other room so they could confer in private, or at least as private as they could get with a hearing enhanced vampire in the house.

"It's going to be hard, isn't it?" Xander asked, his attention still on the couple in the kitchen.

"Extremely." Giles confirmed, cleaning his glasses. "Angel will be here in a few hours. He can help Spike learn to control his power. He knows techniques and meditation practices that will help. It's going to take a while. He's going to need all the support we can give him. He admitted to being addicted to the power and it's going to take a lot to keep it from becoming an addiction again. That much unleashed power could be catastrophic."

The young brunette paced. "That means we have to help in whatever way we can. For Dawnie's sake we can't let this thing beat him. The last person we need starting another apocalypse is Captain Peroxide in there. We can't ask Willow for help, she's having her own magical issues. She's having a hard enough time accepting the possibility that Spike has more power than she does. I wish I knew just why she has a problem with that, but I don't."

"It was her practicing magic in this house without informing anyone that brought this whole problem out. The magical build up gave Spike a migraine and caused him to release the power in the first place. He just had to show off. Sometimes I wonder if he'll ever grow up." Giles said rather heatedly.

"Never planned on it, Mate." Spike said as he leaned against the doorframe. At the look on Giles's face, he smiled. "Not to worry, been kicking myself for that little display since about a second after the first petal hit the floor. I know it's my fault. That I shouldn't have been playing with the magic. And I should have told everyone about the power a long time ago. But I had truly forgotten I had it. It wasn't until you showed up to cleanse the house that I understood what was going on."

"Making up for your bout of silence, are you, Spike?" Xander teased.

"Well, I can't let you always do all the talking, can I Whelp?" Spike responded. A hint of fear still lingered in his dark blue gaze but the determination to beat the fear shone clearly on his lean features. "When did Peaches say he was going to be here?" He asked Giles.

"They were leaving as soon as it got dark, which would be just about now, and it will take them a couple of hours to get here." Giles answered.

The platinum head nodded. "That's right, he told me. Was just too out of it for it to sink in. Never meant for the lot of you to see just what a wreck I really am."

"Aw, Spike, we knew you were a wreck years ago." Xander informed him seriously.

"I'd be careful if I were you." Spike stated, he looked at the young man and concentrated.

"Hey! Put me down!" Xander yelped as he rose six inches off the floor.

"Okay." Spike shrugged and let him drop back down gently. He glanced at Giles as the older man started toward him. "It's okay Rupert. The magic isn't completely free yet so what is out is controllable. I was just panicked when I realized I wouldn't be able to contain it any more. You made me realize I have to control it. That I have no other choice. Last time it had free rein, I almost lost myself. I couldn't face that again. But I can't do it alone. I do need all the help I can get, but I can't ask that of you all."

"I'll help you all you need, but you have to leave me on the floor." Xander said with his feet firmly planted on the carpet.

"Sorry, I just realized that sparring with you could be a whole lot more fun." Spike stated with pure glee. "But I promise I'll leave you on the floor." He continued. "Did you ever call me in?" He asked suddenly.

"Oh, man, I forgot. I'll do that now." Xander headed for the phone. In a few short minutes, he arranged for Spike to have an indefinite leave of absence. Something Spike viewed with dismay, as he couldn't pay the bills without his paycheck. Xander noticed the dismay on the blond's face. "We'll figure something out. Don't worry."

The vampire nodded but still worried his lower lip with his teeth. He couldn't afford to be out of work for long.

Dawn came into the room and noticed her 'brother's' distraction. She glared at the other two men. "What did you do now?" She demanded.

"Nothing, Bit. I just realized I can't go to work for a while. Was just a bit concerned about finances. We should be okay. I have some set back." He didn't but he didn't want Dawn to worry about money. That was his job. His look at Giles and Xander warned them not to say anything about his lie.

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Xander went home a little while later saying he had to rescue his home from all those girls. Spike, Dawn and Giles were quietly watching television, quiet except for the problem of Spike changing the channel when Giles had the remote. The fifth time he did it, the older man got annoyed.

"Spike, could you please stop that?" He asked.

"Can't help it Rupert, you keep stopping on boring shows. I'll try not to do it any more. Just find something decent to watch, eh?" The younger man defended himself.

Dawn jumped up to answer the knock on the front door. She hugged Cordelia and Angel, giving Wesley a smile in greeting. "Great. Someone to referee. We're having the battle of the channel changers here." At the trio of puzzled looks, she waved her hand. "Giles has the remote but Spike keeps changing the channels."

Angel smiled, his Childe was better. Cordelia still had 'huh?' written all over her face and Wesley just looked intrigued. Giles rose to greet the newcomers. Spike waved a hand in greeting. Angel was the only one who heard the younger vampire's unneeded sigh of relief.

"Rupert." Wesley walked forward and extended his hand.

"Wesley, good to see you." Giles shook the proffered hand. "Did Angel tell you what was going on?"

"He told us some of it. What's been happening since we left Los Angeles?" The younger Brit asked. The two former watchers moved into the dining room to sit down and discuss the developments since Wesley's call. Wesley was amazed at Spike's seemingly amazing progress until Rupert admitted that he felt the young vampire was holding on by sheer force of will and out and out stubbornness. The last statement earning a big grin from the younger watcher. "Like Sire, like Childe?" He muttered softly. Giles nodded with a grin of his own.

Cordelia and Dawn sat down in the living room with Spike so they could catch up. Cordy was interested in Spike's problem but had resigned herself to a passive role. She was primarily there to help Dawn.

Angel took over the easy chair and silently watched his Childe talk to Dawn and Cordelia. He knew he was the only one who felt the massive waves of unease still pouring off the blond. Spike looked completely comfortable sprawled out on the unfamiliar sofa but Angel could see the restlessness of his hand as it tapped out a silent tune against one leg. Well, maybe he wasn't the only one who knew of Spike's nervousness as he watched the teenager pick up the tapping hand and lace her fingers through it, holding it still. The older vampire noted the way the pale slender fingers grasped the small warm hand as if holding a lifeline.

Dawn leaned over and whispered in Spike's ear, earning a sheepish grin and a nod. She looked over at Cordelia. "Would you like some dinner?" Dawn asked.

"That would be great." The older brunette smiled.

"Come on, then." Spike said as he got up. The girls followed him into the dining room with Angel silently coming in after them. "Okay, I need dinner orders. As it's kinda late we're going to use a short cut. Don't know how it'll work out but I'm gonna try. Okay, everyone find a chair." Everyone including Angel sat. "Now, ladies first. Niblet, what would you like?"

She grinned. "Pizza." A small pizza with her favorite toppings appeared in front of her.

"Cheerleader?" Spike was relieved with his small success.

"Um? Chicken cordon bleu?" Cordy asked.

"What do you want with it?"

"Rice pilaf and green beans, please." The plate appeared instantly.

"Wesley?" Spike turned to the younger man.

"Spike, what are you doing?" Wes asked.

"Making dinner and practicing magic control." Was the simple answer. "Now what would you like? Pretend you're in your favorite restaurant."

"Well, in that case, lasagna would be lovely." A steaming plate complete with garlic bread appeared. "Oh my." Wesley looked startled.

"Just don't breathe on me or Peaches. Right?" Spike turned to Giles. "Rupert?"

"Curry?" Giles requested.

"Hot or mild?" Spike wanted to know.

"Hot please." He answered. The plate appeared, laden with fragrant Indian cuisine. "Dear Lord." Giles murmured.

Two heated mugs of blood appeared on the table, one in front of Angel and the other at the vacant spot next to Dawn. Spike took his seat and looked around the table at the stunned faces. "Well, eat up and tell me how I did." He noticed something. Instantly glasses of water appeared at each place. Another omission was instantly repaired by the appearance of silverware and napkins. Dawn and Angel both noticed the tiny tremors of Spike's fingers as he reached for his mug. The blond avoided their eyes as he took a drink.

Everyone sampled their dinners and without further hesitation began eating hungrily. Each one complementing Spike on his efforts.

Angel was troubled. It didn't seem possible that Spike would recover so completely, so quickly. Then again, he mused, maybe the bleached menace wasn't quite as recovered as everyone thought. He watched his Childe closely, noting the almost unnoticeable shaking hands and the fear lurking in the dark blue eyes. He remembered clearly the events of the last time Spike's power had been out of control. It had nearly destroyed them all. He wondered if the headache had struck yet. They needed to find a way for Spike to control his power and avoid the migraines.

The girls dealt with the clean up as the men discussed sleeping arraignments. It was decided that Angel would share the basement with Spike. Spike used magic to place another twin bed down there. Wesley and Cordy opted to check into a motel. There was no sign of Willow or Tara and the group decided not to wait up for them. Giles decided to remain on the sofa for another night.

It started out as a peaceful night; Angel was the first to awaken when the night terrors struck.


	6. But Things Still Go Bump In The Night

But Things Still Go Bump In The Night

Disclaimer: I found some pocket lint but my kids stole it. So I still own nothing.

Summary: A little more about Spike's power and the effect it has on him.

Reviews: Yes please. Have to know you're reading. Samson: Thanks for your review of my other little fic. Muchly appreciated. Thanks to everyone else who reviews. Y'all ROCK!!!

A/N: This one is almost done. Gotta tell you there will be a sequel. jonnyG, you'll get your wish as soon as I finish mapping out in my insane little brain how to make it work, almost got it. To everyone else: review it already and tell me how I'm doing. Thanks! And by the way, my little xo dividers are hugs and kisses cause you're reading.

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It was the screaming that first woke Angel. He leapt from his bed, game faced and ready for the attack. His enhanced night vision allowed him to see Spike thrashing about on his bed fighting some unseen assailant. Angel recalled the last time Spike's power had been unleashed. The night terrors had just been the beginning of the problems created by the magic. Relieved that there were no actual attackers, the older vampire rushed across the floor and sat on the bed next to his Childe. Spike immediately retreated, curling up into a ball against the wall. Pushing against whatever it was only he could see, he protested the proximity of Angel.

"No! Get away! I won't let you! Leave me alone!" The last words ended in a wail of pure anguish. Something Angel had hoped he wouldn't ever hear from Spike again. Using his superior strength and speed, Angel grabbed Spike's wrists and prevented the younger vampire from striking out again.

"William! Stop! Calm down. I have you. You're safe." Angel's voice softened with each sentence. Finally the blue eyes opened, unseeing at first, then focusing on the larger being holding him gently.

"Bloody Hell." The blond head fell back against the wall dejectedly. "It's starting again, isn't it?"

"Yes, but we can control it this time. It's not enough to contain it. You have to control it." Angel told him quietly.

"God, Peaches, wouldn't it be easier to just stake me and get it over with?" The blue eyes closed in defeat.

Angel's brown gaze rested on his troublesome Childe. Easier? Oh hell yes. Better? Not by a long shot. As annoying as Spike was, as irritatingly abrasive and hateful as he could be, Angel couldn't imagine his unlife without him. They were family damn it and families stuck together. The biggest regret that Angel had suffered after getting his soul was how he'd treated this sensitive creature. He, Darla and Drusilla had taken a shy, poetic young man and turned him into a monster. All William had ever wanted was someone to love him, something that had carried over when he'd been turned but he would deny it until he was dust.

"No Spike, you're not taking the easy way out. Dawnie still needs you." Angel released his hold.

"Bloody Poof." The blond muttered.

The dark head shook. "You're not pissing me off. I won't let you. There's too much at stake here. Do you think you can go back to sleep? We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Spike nodded. "I'll try. Not going anywhere, are you?" He asked hesitantly.

Angel shook his head. "I'll be right over there."

The platinum head nodded as his eyes began to close. "Okay." He fell asleep huddled defensively against the cold cement wall.

Unseen, Giles and Dawn crept back up the stairs. They went into the living room where they could be fairly certain they wouldn't be overheard. Dawn brought a trembling hand to her mouth as she sank down onto the sofa. She was so scared. She'd thought Spike's magic was cool but now she knew it was going to be a huge problem and she wished he'd never gotten it. Giles noticed the tears in the teenager's big blue eyes.

"It will be all right. Spike is very strong. Much stronger than he was when he first got the magic. He can do this. We're here to help him. We'll all help him." Giles soothed the upset teenager. Sitting down next to her, he took her hand in his.

"He never asked for this. All he wants to do is help. Have you noticed that all he does is take care of people?" Dawn gazed up at her guardian.

He nodded. "Amazingly enough. Yes, I had noticed."

Angel came in silently. Giles exchanged a look with the master vampire. "Is he okay?" He asked.

"He's gone back to sleep. He'll sleep for a while but the terrors will be back." Angel ran his hand through his dark hair.

Dawn bit her lip. "How many times a night will this happen?" Both men were startled by the question.

Angel sat down in the easy chair and sighed. "Last time, at first it was two or three times per night. It got progressively worse as the magic got stronger. At one point he wasn't sleeping at all. I don't know about this time. I'm hoping he's stronger."

"No wonder." Dawn murmured.

Giles looked at her with concern. "No wonder what?"

"After that night, I don't know, maybe a week after you moved out, I started getting night terrors. I thought they were just nightmares but that's what Spike called them. It was only once a night and they only lasted about a week. Spike slept in the hall on the floor outside my door so he could hear me. He said he knew how I felt. Come to think about it, I don't think he slept much that week." She explained.

"What were the night terrors about?" Angel asked.

She shot him a 'DUH!' look. "Glory."

"Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot." He looked down, slightly embarrassed.

"You really are a git aren't you?" She teased.

Giles stifled a smile. The teenager obviously spent too much time with her favorite vampire. "Do you know why they stopped?" The ex-watcher asked.

She tilted her head and thought about it for a moment. "I think it stopped when I realized that Spike would be there to protect me. I felt safe and the terrors went away."

Angel nodded. Angelus hadn't done anything to make Spike feel safe so the terrors had tormented his Childe for several weeks. It had taken containing the magic to stop them but he knew just containing it would not be the answer this time. They all needed to try to make him feel safe.

Giles yawned. "I think it's time we tried to get a little more sleep."

"I want to sleep in the basement." Dawn stated.

"No." Both men protested. Angel continued his argument. "Dawn, when the terrors strike again you might get hurt. He doesn't know what he's fighting against and if he hit you during an attack, he won't be able to handle it. It would kill him if he hurt you."

Dawn pouted but saw the sense in Angel's statement. Giving both men a hug she went back upstairs to try for more sleep.

A little while later, it all started again. This time Dawn stayed in bed and wept for her 'brother' hoping it would be over soon.

The screaming seemed to last an eternity. Spike fought all Angel's attempts to help. Incoherent cries echoed in the darkness as he flailed against phantom attackers. Only Angel's vampiric strength kept him from harm. Finally the older vampire managed to subdue the violent struggles. Positioning himself behind Spike, Angel clamped both his arms around Spike's slender torso, pinning his arms. All the while murmuring soothing phrases. Spike woke up at last and sagged against his Sire. Peace was eventually achieved. Exhausted by his torment, Spike fell into an uneasy sleep. Angel sat up and watched over his Childe, relieved when morning arrived without a third attack. The first two had been painful enough.

It was late in the morning before the four of them made their way into the kitchen. Giles made tea and checked the refrigerator for blood to heat for the two vampires. Unfortunately no one had remembered to visit the butchers. Spike gave the empty space a weary glance and within seconds the shelf was full.

Dawn had checked Willow and Tara's room and found it empty. She was sure they had stayed over with Anya and Xander. Whatever Willow's problem with Spike's magic was, Dawn hoped she'd get over it soon.

Spike gazed at his teenager while she rummaged in the pantry for some cereal. "Bit, do you want me to make you breakfast?"

"NO. I don't." She snapped, banging the box down on the table.

He walked over to her and put his arms around her. She grabbed on almost frantically. "I don't like your magic so much any more." She mumbled into his shoulder.

"Neither do I, Sweetling. But I have to learn to use and control it. If I don't it will control me. Don't fall apart on me now, Bit. I need you." He whispered into her hair, smoothing his hand down its shiny brown length.

Angel and Giles watched the two cling to each other. They couldn't help but be affected by the sight. Wes and Cordy came in through the back door. Cordelia's eyes teared up at seeing the couple. Wesley went over to speak to Giles.

"Has something happened?" He asked quietly.

"Bad night." Angel answered, leaning against the counter with his arms folded across his chest.

Wes nodded. "First of many, I'll wager."

Giles cleaned his glasses. "Let's hope not."

Spike and Dawn realized that they were the center of attention and broke apart. He pointed to the table and a plate of pancakes popped into view. "Now sit and eat." He ordered his girl. He sauntered over to the group watching them and adopted his normal badass attitude. He didn't fool anyone but none of them let on.

"Okay Peaches, what's on the agenda for today?" He asked.

"Don't call me that." Angel growled mildly. "First we eat, have to keep our strength up. Make breakfast for the rest and later we start training. You're going to learn meditation."

The blond scowled. "Tried that the last time. Didn't work then."

The older vampire grabbed the younger one by the shoulders and forcibly turned him toward the table. "Make breakfast. Now."

"Fine!" The table became laden with bacon, eggs and orange juice. Toast was piled high in a basket and place settings followed shortly. "Happy now?" He shrugged out of Angel's hold.

"I don't know about Angel, but I am." Cordelia sat next to Dawn and helped herself. Soon the two were giggling and gossiping.

Giles and Wesley joined them. Angel and Spike sat down and sipped their blood while Spike stole bits of bacon from Dawn's plate. She smacked him with her fork as he smirked at her.

As soon as breakfast was finished Cordelia took Dawn shopping. She stole the credit card from Angel's wallet and swiped the car keys from Wesley. She and Wesley had talked earlier, deciding that she needed to distract Dawn.

Giles filled Wesley in on the night's events. Afterward they did what they did best and hit the books. They researched magic books to see if there were any way they could help Spike learn control. Soon they had the dining table covered with books and papers hoping to find something useful.

Angel and Spike retreated to the basement to begin training. His normally hyperactive Childe sorely tested Angel's vast reserves of patience. Unable to sit still for more that a few minutes at a time while under stress, Spike kept jumping up and pacing around the room. It took all Angel could do not to punch the younger vampire out.

Upstairs in research central, otherwise known as the dining room, Wesley gasped, sitting up straight in his chair. Rupert moved over to see what the younger man was reading. They looked at each other and smiled. They had it.


	7. Make The Terrors Go Away

Make The Terrors Go Away

Disclaimer: Same as before, no pocket lint, no owning.

Summary: Spike's power is evolving, can he handle it?

Reviews: Yes please. Reviewers ROCK!!

A/N: Almost there. One more chapter. I tried to let Giles take the lead in the research bit but Wesley just took over and Giles let him. Who am I to argue?

Claire Starling, sorry but Dawnie is just a little too young to consider pairing with Spike at this time. So it's sibling goodness for them.

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Angel was fed up. He'd had all he could take. "SPIKE!! SIT DOWN! You have to learn this."

The platinum blond flopped onto the bed next to his Sire. Crossing his arms, he pouted. "It's boring. I don't want to sit still that long. I can't concentrate. Can we go hit something?" They'd been at it for two hours and Spike was more than a little restless. He felt out of control, a feeling he never liked no matter what the reason.

The older vampire sighed. "Can I hit you?" He asked rhetorically.

"Let's go to the Magic Box and use the training room. I want to hit things. Can't patrol yet, so let's go there. Come on, a little exercise would do you good." Spike hopped up and started pacing again.

"It's daylight and I don't like using the sewers. We're staying here. And we are NOT patrolling." Angel shot down Spike's idea.

"I can take us." Spike said quietly.

Angel looked up at him in puzzlement. "What do you mean? You can take us."

The younger vampire motioned to his Sire to stand up. "Come over here." Angel moved to stand next to his Childe. "Look at me." Spike instructed. Brown eyes locked onto blue ones. The room tilted and rotated in a slow circle, morphing into the training room of the Magic Box.

Angel stumbled slightly. "How did you do that?"

Spike shrugged. "I just thought about being here and here we are."

"The magic is getting stronger. You have to get better control." Angel said.

"I'm trying. I really am. Do you think I want to lose myself again? I hate what happened last time. I just need to let off some steam." Spike walked over to Buffy's punching bag and gave it a couple of hits.

Angel walked toward the main part of the store. "I'll go call Giles and Wesley to let them know where we went."

Anya looked up as the tall vampire walked out of the training room. "How did you get here? Did you come from the basement? You really should let me know when you're going to be here." She babbled. She never felt comfortable around Angel as she'd only met him a couple of times before.

Angel picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Summers house. Wesley answered on the second ring. "Wes, it's me. We're at the Magic Box."

"Angel? How did you get there? I thought you and Spike were in the basement." Wes was stunned. Giles looked up and frowned.

"Spike transported us. He wanted to hit things so he brought us over here so he could use the training room." Angel explained.

Wesley smiled. It seemed that the young wizard was making progress in controlling his magic after all. Transporting to a specified location was very advanced. He glanced at his fellow researcher and nodded. Everything was fine. They'd found an answer to the problem and Spike, whether Angel realized it or not, was making remarkable progress in controlling the power. "Let him 'hit things'. Just don't hurt each other. Some training would do you both good. I'd like for you to take him patrolling tonight as well." He finished.

Angel looked at the phone in disbelief. "Patrolling?" He asked.

"Yes, I'd like to find out if Spike will instinctively use his magic in a threatening situation. So only help if he's in mortal danger." Wes said.

"Okay. But I don't have to like it." Angel said.

Giles looked puzzled as Wesley hung up. "Where are they?" He asked.

Wesley sat down and laughed. "Spike wanted to hit things so he transported them to the training room at the Magic Box."

Giles looked stunned. "He did what?"

"Spike wanted to hit things so he transported the two of them to the Magic Box." Wes repeated. "It's very advanced. I believe he has better control over his magic than even he realizes. It's a good sign. It will make it easier to implement the solution. They are going to patrol as soon as it gets dark so Angel can let us know if Spike will instinctively use the magic if threatened."

"I heard you tell Angel that. I'm not sure it's safe." Giles removed his glasses to clean them.

Wesley watched the older man in amusement. "It's immensely safe. Angel will be there. And I believe that Spike will indeed use his magic to protect himself and Angel. In light of what we found, the more we know about how well Spike is controlling the magic the better off we'll be."

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At the Magic Box, Angel nodded to Anya. "Spike and I will be in the training room for a while."

"Spike's here too?" She asked. Angel nodded and went back to his Childe.

Spike was punching and kicking the hanging bag as if he had a personal grudge. He delivered a spinning kick that would have made Bruce Lee proud. He came up with a grin and motioned for the older vampire to join him. Angel took off his shirt so it wouldn't get torn and smiled grimly. Spike stripped off his snug black t-shirt and faced his opponent. Immediately having to dodge a punch, he swept a leg out and knocked Angel off his feet. Angel tangled his feet with Spike's and brought him down as well. Moving swiftly the older vampire went to pin the smaller vampire but was sent rolling as Spike flipped him over his head. Spike jumped upright as Angel landed in a crouch several feet away.

"Is that the best you got, Peaches?" Spike taunted.

"I haven't even begun to whip your ass, boy." Angel snarled.

"Bring it on old man." Spike challenged. And the fight was on. It lasted the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening. An onlooker would have proclaimed the entire fight pure poetry, so well did the two fight together. They had no intentions of actually hurting each other so it was easy to admire the skill of each combatant. It was beginning to get dark when they finally decided to call it a draw. They collapsed onto a nearby mat and rested.

"Do you feel better now?" Angel asked tiredly.

"Raring to go another few rounds but, yeah, I feel better." Spike answered.

"Good, take us home. We need to get ready for patrol." Angel got up and put his shirt on.

Spike jumped up and retrieved his t-shirt, more than ready to go out and kill things.

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Cordy and Dawn entered the house shortly before dark. They had spent more time looking than actual buying so they weren't carrying many packages. It had been so long since Dawn had had a chance to just look, that she'd dragged Cordelia to almost every store in the mall. But they'd had fun. They had even gone to see the latest movie in the Cineplex and were giggling over the comedy when they got home. Willow and Tara had been so busy with college and whatever they were practicing magic for that they never spent any time with the lonely teenager any more. Neither female was surprised to see the array of books and papers spread out on the dining table.

"I see you're both in full research mode." Dawn observed as the two men looked up.

Giles removed his glasses as he smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Yes, well. We've been very successful. But we still have some checking to do before we can share what we've found." He said.

Cordy looked as if she were going to say something but never got the chance. Spike and Angel materialized next to her in the entryway. Jumping a foot, she swatted the taller vampire. "Don't do that!" She exclaimed.

Angel's mouth dropped open. "I didn't do it. He did." He defended himself while pointing at Spike. "Hit him."

The fashion maven rounded on the smirking blond. Shaking her finger in his face she let him have it. "At least give a person warning before just showing up next to them. How did you do that anyway?"

Deep blue eyes gazed into her dark brown ones. "Like this." The room tilted and spun. Cordy found herself in the cemetery with the annoying vampire.

She shrieked. "Take us back!"

He shrugged. "Okay."

"Here we come." The warning was heard throughout the house seconds before the couple reappeared in the dining room.

The reactions were varied. Cordy ran behind Angel for protection from Spike. Dawn stood open mouthed with astonishment. Giles was cleaning his glasses rather vigorously. Wesley just looked amused.

"It seems that our wizard has far more control over his magic than we previously thought. Tell me Spike, do you have a headache?" Wesley's tone of voice was mild.

Spike looked thoughtful. "Not a twinge, come to think about it. Usually by now after using so much today, I'd be down for the count. What's up, Watcher?"

"We've done some research and I must say some of the information we found has been fascinating." Wesley said.

Giles replaced his glasses. "It has indeed. But before we go into detail, we would like for you and Angel to patrol. It has been several days since you've been out. We'll tell you what we found in the morning."

Dawn protested. "Why not tonight? Doesn't Spike deserve to know what's going on?"

Wesley looked at her kindly. "Yes, he does. But there are still a few things we need to find out. After tonight we'll know how to proceed."

Spike was more than willing to go out and kill things. He made a phone call the Xander and requested they keep the Buffybot off patrol for the night. He didn't want to encounter the imitation Slayer. He and Angel fortified themselves with large mugs of blood and raided the weapons chest. Neither vampire was willing to carry 'Mr. Pointy', Buffy's favorite stake, but there were plenty of other stakes to choose from.

Giles assured the vampires that he would take care of dinner for the group. Dawn hugged both vampires and gave them strict instructions to 'not go all dusty'.

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Patrol was pretty tame at first. Angel hung back and watched Spike dispatch some fledgling vamps with vicious glee. No real threat there. At midnight they were just about to give up and go home when they were attacked.

Seemingly from nowhere a group of demons descended on the master vampires. They separated the pair and set about trying to kill them. Angel managed to kill two of the four after him and was barely holding his own with the remaining two. Spike wasn't doing as well. He'd been surrounded by five of the large ugly beasts. He snapped the neck of one and was attempting to get a hold of another one when he was knocked to the ground. The demons crowded in for the kill. Suddenly they flew backwards into the air, hitting the ground several yards away. The two on Angel followed, landing on their friends. Lightening bolts incinerated them one after the other. Angel spun toward Spike as the demons went up in flames. The lightening shooting from Spike's fingertips took them both by surprise. This was new.

Angel ran toward his Childe, using his preternatural speed to reach his side quickly. He noticed the fear on the younger vampire's face. "It's okay, Will. I think they're toast." He said, dodging the lightening. Spike clenched his fist, stopping the outpouring of deadly fire.

"Bloody Hell!" The blond was shaken. "That never happened before. Sire, I don't feel so well. Can we go home now?"

"Good idea. We need to figure out what just happened. Do you want to walk or transport?" Angel flung an arm around Spike when it looked as if he was about to hit the ground.

"Transport would be good. Don't think I can walk." Spike finished the sentence as they arrived in the living room. His legs gave out as soon as the room stopped spinning. Landing on his knees, he slumped there with his head bowed, exhausted. Dawn gasped and ran over to him. Kneeling next to him, she glared at Angel.

"What happened?" She demanded.

Wearily, Spike placed a calming hand over hers. "Hush Bit. Just a bit knackered from the demons that tried to make vampire pudding out of us. I'll be fine soon. Be a love and bring me a mug of blood, please." She ran to do his bidding.

Wesley and Giles helped the shaken vampire to the easy chair.

"Angel, are you all right?" Cordy asked, coming up behind the tall vampire.

He turned to her, letting her see that he was indeed okay. "Fine. We're both fine. Spike's just tired, that's all."

Spike gave a grim chuckle. "That's not all, Peaches. Need to tell the watchers what I did back there. Gave me quite a start, it did."

Giles knelt next to Spike in concern. "What happened?"

Spike looked at Angel. "Want to tell them about my little light show?"

"Light show?" Dawn questioned as she entered the room. She handed Spike a heated mug.

Angel cleared his throat. "Spike threw lightening at some raider demons and incinerated them. I'm thinking that word is getting out about Sunnydale being not as protected as it should be. You don't usually see demons like this in well protected areas."

"Lightening?" Giles was astonished. He'd been afraid of this. Now they knew for certain what they were dealing with.

Wesley went in and grabbed a book off the table, flipping pages madly.

"Lightening bolts. A very old and rare power known to have existed in only a few wizards. It is said to have died out around the turn of the century when the last known wizard possessing the power was murdered by a vampire." Wesley read from the antique book in his hand. "A few witches have been known to replicate the lightening with spells but the actual power must be inherent in the wizards core power." He finished, closing the book.

"I had read this earlier and needed to know if it was in fact the same wizard that set you up and gave you his power. Since we now know it is, we know what to do about it. You have far more control over your power than you realize. You shouldn't have any night terrors tonight." Wesley explained.

"Good, could use a decent nights sleep." Spike stated. He looked at Dawn. "Speaking of sleep, Niblet, don't you have school tomorrow? Why aren't you in bed?"

Angel had to turn away to hide the grin. Who would have guessed that Spike had such a parental streak in him? Cordelia noticed Angel's expression and smiled at him, knowing what he was thinking.

The teenager gave her vampire a cross look. "Fall break. I told you about it last week. I'm out of school for a week."

Spike was surprised. "But you've only been in school for six weeks. Didn't think you had any time off until Christmas."

"Shows what you know." Dawn told him.

Angel decided to speak up before the 'children' started to squabble. "I think we all need to go to bed. I know I didn't sleep well last night, what with all the noise my roommate was making."

"Sod off, Peaches." Angel ignored his Childe's suggestion and turned to Wesley.

"Are you and Cordy going back to the motel?" He asked.

Wesley thought about it for a moment. "I'd really rather stay here. I need to do a little more checking and want to be able to get started first thing in the morning. If Spike could provide another bed in the basement, I'd like to sleep down there tonight."

Cordy sat down on the sofa. "I don't want to go back there alone. Would it be possible to put another bed in Dawn's room? I'd take Willow's but I don't want to intrude if they decide to come back tonight."

Spike concentrated for a moment, visualizing Dawn's room and placed a bed in the corner. Seconds later another bed appeared in the basement.

"I'm staying as well but I'm fine on the sofa." Giles said.

By mutual agreement they all said their goodnights and retired to their beds, ready for a peaceful night.

Two hours later, the screaming shook them all awake.


	8. When Control Isn't Enough

When Control Isn't Enough

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, want to, but don't. Where's my pocket lint?

Summary: What can they do about Spike's power? Only the Watchers can tell what will happen next.

Reviews: Yes, PLEASE. The muse is desperately hungry for some. All reviewers ROCK!!

A/N: This is the end of this installment of my insane ramblings. I made it to eight chapters. YAY ME! Hope you all enjoy it with its little twists and turns. This one is a little longer than the other chapters but I promised to end it with this one. So read, enjoy, and review. THANKS!

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Angel dashed across the basement floor as Wesley went to turn on a light. They could both see Spike huddled up against the wall next to his bed. He wasn't struggling as he'd been the night before. His screams had lowered to harsh cries.

"NO! STOP!" He shouted. He seemed to hold his breath. "No." It was a low moan. "Oh God, no. Someone stop her. BUFFY!"

Angel stopped in his tracks, nearly dropping to his knees at the shaft of pain shooting through him. Oh God. He was dreaming about that night. The night Buffy died.

"Oh God." Angel's sensitive hearing picked up the gasped words behind him, coming from the stairs. He whipped around and saw Giles, Dawn and Cordelia at the base of the stairs. They were staring at Spike with varying degrees of shock.

Dawn advanced toward her vampire. "I knew he relived that night in his sleep but he never told me how violent his dreams were. Or maybe his magic is making it worse. Either way we need to wake him up." Her voice was oddly calm.

Angel caught her arm as she went to pass him. "No. Let me. He can't hurt me as bad as he could you." She nodded and halted a few feet away from the bed.

Spike was still dreaming. He began talking again. "No. Please, no. I'm sorry. Please let her be okay. I'm so sorry. I didn't try hard enough. It's my fault. Oh Dawnie, I'm sorry. It should have been me. Why couldn't it be me? Oh God don't take her away. Please. Why can't she stay? Oh Buffy, I'm so sorry. I failed. Oh God. I failed. WHY WASN'T IT ME?" His words ended on a wail of anguish.

Dawn collapsed in tears. Giles rushed over and put his arms around her. Angel broke from his shocked immobility and went over to the bed. He reached for Spike's shoulder to shake it. Spike struck out at him. His blue eyes were wide open but unfocused. Unshed tears swam in the sapphire depths. Angel tried another tactic.

"William. Wake up. It's only a dream. It's over. You have to wake up now." He said softly. "Wake up, Will."

Cordelia went over to stand next to Wesley. He put a comforting arm around her shoulder. Silent tears streamed down her face in sympathy for the young vampire's suffering. While she didn't like him, she couldn't stand seeing anyone in that much pain.

Spike started to shake. Angel could feel the entire bed quaking. He tried again.

"SPIKE! WAKE UP!" He raised his voice. The blond started violently. His eyes focused on Angel, then closed in despair. His head drooped as if too heavy for his neck. He realized that they all had heard.

"It wasn't a night terror this time, was it?" He whispered.

"No." Angel told him. "I thought we'd settled this. Will, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. No one is blaming you. You didn't fail."

Dawn broke away from Giles's embrace to throw her arms around Spike's neck. Scalding tears rained down on his bare shoulder as he instinctively caught her in his arms. "Dawn, I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"It wasn't you. It was me. It should have been me." Dawn sobbed.

Spike shoved her away so he could look into her face. "NEVER, EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" He shook her lightly with each word. He pulled her back into his arms. "You're the only thing keeping me from taking a walk in the sun." He buried his face in her hair.

Angel shifted down the bed to make room for Dawn. Giles walked forward slowly, as if every movement was painful.

"Spike." The older man paused.

"Yeah?" The vampire's voice was raspy from the screaming.

"Dawn said that you relive that night in your sleep." Giles crouched beside the bed.

"Every night I save her. Except tonight. Tonight I failed again. But the night's not over is it? Every bloody night. One hundred and forty two nights. Every night I do something different, quicker, more clever. You know? Every night I save her. I'll do it again. Over and over. I'll save her... Every night." Ending in a whisper, Spike turned his face away, unable to look at the people he knew blamed him for Buffy's death.

Angel closed his eyes, bowing his head. Pain raced through every portion of his being. All this time he'd thought his childe had healed, had gotten past the pain of losing Buffy. How wrong could he have been?

"God, Spike. I didn't know." Angel said.

"How the Bloody Hell could you? It's not like I wanted to share that with anyone. It's my burden to bear. I failed, I know it, I have to live with it. Every night I don't just save her. I SEE her. And that's what makes it almost worth the pain. Seeing her. If only in a dream it's better than never again...." He choked. "Almost worth it." He whispered. He clung to the sobbing teenager in his arms. She was his lifeline.

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose trying to regain control of his own emotions. He knew all too well the guilt burdening the young vampire. He had his own guilt to live with. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I was her Watcher. It was my responsibility to protect her and get her ready for battle. I failed her. I cared about her too much to push her into being more of a slayer and less of a young woman. I wanted her to have a life of her own and in doing so, she wasn't as prepared as she should have been."

"Bollocks." Spike spat. "She loved you. More than her own father. She looked up to you. You could do no wrong. Even when you wanted to.... She still depended on you. You couldn't have done anything different."

Cordelia dried her tears. Walking over to the small group, she took a deep breath. This would either work or they would all turn against her. "What a load of crap." She stated.

Four faces turned to her, stunned expressions evident on them all. Slowly the surprise turned to anger.

"What are you going on about, Cheerleader?" Spike asked heatedly.

She fortified her determination to put an end to the pity party. They had more important things to finish, like controlling Spike's magic and getting back to LA. Buffy had been gone almost five months now and these people really needed to move on. She missed Buffy too, she'd deny that until her dying day, but enough was enough.

"No one pushed Buffy from that tower. She jumped. It's not anyone's fault that she CHOSE to jump. She saved the world. I always heard, from her mind you, that it was in her job description. I'm sorry she's gone. But we've got other problems to deal with. She gave her life to save all of us. Do you think she'd want us to waste that sacrifice dwelling on who was to blame? If you have to blame anyone, blame her. She jumped. We need to move on from that. Remember her. Save her every night if you have to but don't blame yourselves for something you couldn't control. What was it you said her last words were, Dawn? Something about the hardest thing..." She trailed off unable to recall the exact wording.

"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me." Dawn finished for her, wiping the tears from her face. She rested her head on Spike's shoulder thinking about what Cordy had said. She could feel Spike start to shake. 'Oh God.' She thought. 'He's crying.' Lifting her head, she gazed at her vampire. He kept his face turned away. She could see the tears on his cheek and she raised a hand to wipe them away. He turned to look at her and she was shocked by the laughter in his eyes. Eyes that glistened with unshed tears. A chuckle escaped his lips as she gazed at him.

"She's right you know." Spike said. "The Slayer would kick my ass right and proper if she thought I was being a broody ponce and not doing my job taking care of you. What do you think, Bit? Big sis would have a right fit if she could see us now. Dealing with the magic and the Poof here, I forgot to be sane about it. I let the guilt come back and kick my ass instead of the other way around."

Dawn gave a reluctant smile. "Yeah, but then she really liked kicking your ass." She pointed out.

Spike glanced over at his Sire. He stretched out a slender bare foot and kicked the older vampire in the hip. "Buck up, Peaches. Your Cheerleader makes a lot of sense. You don't want to spend the rest of your unlife here baby-sitting me while I play in my pity pool. Think I'll get out of it now and let you get on with your saving of the innocent gig."

Angel glared at the offending foot before letting a slow smile cross his face. "Yeah, one thing she did like to do was kick your sorry ass." He said.

Giles let a laugh escape and he remembered how Buffy would always rant about the bleached menace, but for some reason known only to the Slayer, she could never stake him.

Wesley cleared his throat. "I think we can all go back to bed. We'll need our rest to implement the solution to Spike's power problem."

The others agreed as exhaustion swept over them. Giles went back upstairs with Cordy. Spike kissed the top of Dawn's head and let her go. She followed the others and went to her room with Cordy.

The rest of the night passed peacefully.

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Xander arrived early the next morning ready to take Dawn to school. He was surprised that no one was awake and out of bed. He knocked on the basement door and jumped when Wesley came up, yawning and running his hand through his rumpled hair. Xander had seen Giles on the sofa and figured that they were still having difficulties with Spike's magic. He still had Willow and Tara at his apartment and wanted to find out when he could send them home.

"Wesley, what's up? Thought you and Deadboy would have been gone by now." Xander found coffee grounds and filled the coffee maker with water. He hadn't gotten any at his own place. The girls had drunk it all.

"No, there are still some things to do. Why are you here?" Wesley said as he looked longingly at the slowly dripping coffee maker.

"Taking Dawnie to school. Where is she? She's going to be late. She can't afford too many more tardies." Xander got coffee cups out and went to the refrigerator for cream.

An amused voice came from the basement door. "Didn't you get the memo? The school's out for fall break this week." Spike padded barefoot to the cupboard for his mug.

"Am I always the last to know these things? I mean, jeeze, I give the girl a ride every day. She could have shared the info." Xander grumbled as he silently rooted for the coffee maker to hurry up.

"It's all right, Mate. Didn't know myself until last night. How come you're hovering around our coffee? Yours out of order?" Spike dumped blood into his mug and shoved it into the microwave.

"It's my coffee, I made it. And mine isn't broken, the girls drank it all and just left. When can I give Tara and Willow back?" Xander grabbed the barely finished pot and filled his cup.

"No one's keeping them away. They left all on their own. They can come back whenever they want. It's not my house. It's Niblet's and she didn't kick them out." Spike took a sip of his heated blood.

Giles wandered in, lured by the smell of fresh coffee as Angel entered through the basement door, lured by the smell of heated blood. Spike handed Angel a mug and a packet of blood as Xander poured coffee for Wes and got out a cup for Giles. They all sat down at the table and sipped their drinks in silence for a moment.

"Aren't you going to be late for work, Harris?" Spike broke the silence.

"Nope, took a personal day. Thought I'd hang out here and see if you needed help." Xander said.

"Gee, didn't know you cared." Spike gibed.

"I don't. I want my place back. And I figured if I help you, I get it that much sooner." Xander grinned.

"You're all heart." Spike looked at the young brunette for a second.

Xander took another swallow of his coffee and spit it back into the cup. "Now that's low. Messing with a man's coffee." He got up and dumped the offending fluid in the sink.

Giles looked up, finally awake. "What did he do?" He asked.

"Changed it to tea." Xander poured himself some fresh coffee. "Cold tea." He griped.

Spike grinned. "At least you're still on the floor."

Giles told an amused Wesley and Angel on Xander's uplifting experience of the other day. Laughter filled the kitchen.

Dawn and Cordelia came in as the discussion changed to Spike's magic and his increasing control of it. Cordy made straight for the coffee as Dawn got out a soda.

"Xander, why are you here?" Dawn asked.

"Someone forgot to tell me about fall break so I came to take you to school." Xander said.

"I told you. The same day I told Spike. Neither one of you ever listen." Dawn griped as she sat on Spike's knee because Cordy took the last chair. She jumped as a cool finger poked her in the side. "Quit it." She elbowed the vampire in his t-shirt covered chest.

"Children, please." Angel said as he got up to put his mug in the sink. Dawn immediately stole his chair. He turned around to see her huge grin. Leaning against the counter, he folded his arms across his chest and glared, a small smile ghosting over his mouth.

"Anyone want breakfast?" Spike asked. A round of yeses sounded. Waffles, sausages and syrup appeared on the table. Cordy got up and got plates and silverware. Xander looked shocked at the breakfast feast from nowhere.

"Hungry Harris?" Spike asked, passing a platter.

"Sure. How? I mean, did you...? What DID you do?" Xander stuttered as he served himself a crispy waffle.

Dawn grinned at him as she got some sausages. Reaching for the syrup, she explained. "Spike practices his magic control by making things. He does breakfast great, doesn't he?"

"Yum." Was all Xander could think of to say. Earning a laugh from everyone at the table. He swallowed a bite. "Something tells me I missed a lot this weekend." He stated.

Taking turns, the others filled Xander in on all the events of the weekend. Dawn moved over and sat on Spike again so Angel could sit down. They hugged as the others related the disturbance the night before. Xander looked sad to hear that some of them still had issues with Buffy's death. He gave Cordy a look of appreciation for her little speech.

"Wow. Food from mid air. Transporting. Levitation. Lightening bolts. Not to mention the throwing of demons across the cemetery. I'm thinking we're happy you're on our side. Anya told me the two of you were in the Magic Box, but you never told her how you got there and didn't tell her when you left. She was pretty wigged." Xander commented. "So, when do we do this whatever it is so Spike can deal with his 'power problem'?" He asked as he got up to refill his coffee from the carafe that didn't seem to get empty. He looked at it strangely, turning to count the number of cups of coffee that had been poured from it. Then he looked at a smirking Spike. "Where were you when the female horde was draining all the caffeine at my house?"

Wesley held up his coffee cup, silently asking Xander for a refill. "We can implement the solution whenever Spike is ready." He said, as Xander made the rounds with the pot filling everyone's cups.

"Great. What do we have to do?" Dawn asked, bouncing on Spike's knee, eliciting a grimace of pain from the blond vampire. He snaked his arms around her waist to hold her still.

"You're going to have me on crutches if you don't sit still, Bit." He complained through clenched teeth.

"Why don't we go into the living room while Spike is still able to walk?" Giles suggested. They all agreed and got up to move. Spike gave the table a glance and it was immediately cleared of the breakfast remains. Xander gaped at him.

"You can come live with me." He offered.

Spike shook his head with a flinch. "Not again in this unlifetime." He declined.

Once everyone had relocated to the living room, Giles stood up and picked up the book he and Wesley had discovered the day before.

"We discovered that the wizard that gave Spike his power was one of the oldest, most powerful wizards ever known to exist. No one could ever figure out why his power had never reappeared in any of his descendants. Now we know. He chose Spike to receive his power and set him up. No one will ever know why he did that. Immediately after Spike received this power, it tried to destroy him. He wasn't prepared for the scope of the power, it was alien to his system. Incredibly Angelus and Spike found a way to contain the power so it couldn't be used. That act exerted the ultimate form of control over the power. It contained the magic so that Spike couldn't unconsciously use it. In fact he forgot he even had the power. Now, we all know the circumstances involved in Spike's reemergence of the magic. But this time Spike seems to have complete control over the power. Once he realized and understood he had to control it, he did. In the century since he first received the magic his system became used to having it there. It became part of him. Since the first headache caused by Willow's magic, he hasn't had a reaction at all. His sensitivity has been neutralized by his acceptance of the magic." Giles paused, looking around at the rapt faces of everyone in the room.

"Then why the panic attack when he found out the magic was escaping its containment?" Dawn asked from her spot on the floor by Spike's feet.

"Because the memories Spike had of the magic were ones where he was nearly destroyed by it." Wesley answered.

Giles nodded and continued. "Spike, you referred to your first experience with your magic as an addiction." Spike nodded. "I don't believe that it was. I think that you and Angel perceived it that way to make it easier to deal with. An addiction is a craving for something that needs to be given to you. Since the magic is yours and is virtually limitless, you cannot reach the limit in order for you to need more. The problems that you had before came from being unable to control it. You needed to contain it in order to absorb it into your essence. In effect, by containing it for a century, you allowed your system to adjust to it being there. Using it when you did was your subconscious way of letting you know you were ready to accept it."

Angel nodded. "That makes sense. What is this solution Wesley keeps talking about?"

Giles yielded the floor to Wesley. Taking the book, Wesley began his explanation of his findings. "When I discovered the origins of Spike's magic, I did a little more research in order to give him some choices. Some of the options are a little extreme and we sincerely hope you give serious consideration before choosing them."

"What are the options and how can we help?" Xander raised his hand as if he were still in school.

"Gee, Whelp, in a hurry much?" Spike asked sarcastically. Xander made a face at the blond.

"Yes, well. I'll be happy to tell you. There are four choices. The first one is the most extreme. That one involves extracting the magic from your system. But we don't recommend it unless you desperately want to rid yourself of the magic completely. We're not certain we can accomplish it without destroying you in the process." Wesley explained.

"Lets that one out. Kinda like being here. Next choice?" Spike asked as Dawn wrapped her arms around his leg defensively. He reached down and stroked her hair comfortingly.

"The second choice is less drastic. You would have to retreat back into your subconscious and create a stronger containment for your power so that it could never be used again. It would still be there but it would be permanently disengaged. We could help you with that. There is a spell that Rupert and I could perform." The younger ex-watcher continued.

"I'd have to think about that." The blond wizard nodded thoughtfully.

"The third choice is for you to continue to use your magic but get training to help you explore the scope of it without danger to yourself and others. There is a coven in England that is willing to shelter and train you. We feel that this is your best option." Wesley looked at Giles for confirmation.

"I've already spoken to the high priestess and they are willing to let you stay with them as long as it takes. They won't let the council know as they disagree with the direction the council has taken lately." The older man said.

Dawn looked up at Spike. "You'd leave me?" She asked, tears appearing in her eyes.

"Never, Bit. Okay, Watcher. What's the last choice?" He asked.

Wesley smiled. "You do nothing."

A chorus of "Huh?" echoed around the room. Giles and Wesley exchanged amused glances. They knew this would happen.

Wesley continued, looking around at the stunned faces surrounding him. "You keep the magic. Use it if and when you wish. You can choose to never use it again, use it only when absolutely necessary or use it as part of your daily activities. Over the last few days you have exhibited an unprecedented degree of control achieved in an unbelievably short time. Given your current problem with Willow, we suggest that you opt to only use the magic when absolutely necessary."

Spike opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. Then burst into laughter. The rest of the room followed until everyone had tears of mirth brimming in their eyes. Dawn clung to Spike's leg overcome by giggles.

"That's it? Those are the options?" Cordelia asked between snickers. Both former Watchers nodded, smiling.

"Xander, can you explain all this to Willow and let them know they are free to return home?" Giles asked the younger man.

The dark head began to shake. "I don't want to go there. Deadboy, she won't hurt you. Cover for me, please?"

Angel recovered from his guffaws and leaned against Cordy. "What's it worth to you?"

"Name it." Xander answered beginning a fresh round of laughter.

Wesley took pity on the younger man. "Rupert and I will go and explain everything. Maybe we can convince her that Spike has no intention of competing with her in any magical way." He looked over at Spike for confirmation.

The blond held up his hands defensively. "No worries there. She's the witch in the family. I'm just the unlucky bloke stuck with power he never asked for. Think I'll stick with the last option. I'd go to the coven but I'm not leaving the Niblet for any reason. But, I'll take your recommendation and only use it if I have to."

Giles nodded, he'd expected that decision. "The coven wanted me to tell you that the invitation is open indefinitely. The only way they would deny you is if you returned to your old ways."

Spike smirked. "A little too much responsibility here for me to go back to having that much fun, Mate. OUCH." He yelped as his 'responsibility' pinched his leg.

Giles cleaned his glasses. "Yes, well. Wesley, when did you want to talk to Willow and Tara?"

"As soon as possible." Wes answered.

Xander chimed in. "They get out of class in an hour. If you catch them, you can talk to them in the student coffee shop and avoid any majorly loud scenes."

Wes nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

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It was decided that Xander, Cordelia, Wesley and Giles would go and talk to the two witches. The four of them succeeded in soothing Willow's feelings over not being told of Spike's problem with magic. She had done a lot of thinking over the weekend and had already decided that given the circumstances she might have overreacted just a little. She and Tara agreed to return home that evening, news that made Dawn very happy.

As soon as it got dark the LA contingent left Sunnydale. Dispensing hugs, kisses and promises to phone often, Dawn waved them off. She said goodbye to Giles as he left to return to his own apartment. Going back into the house, she went into the kitchen looking for dinner. Willow and Tara were in there searching for something to make. Dawn grinned at the normalcy of it all. Spike came in from taking a shower, bare-chested with a towel draped around his neck, his curls rioting damply over his head.

"Red, it's good to have you back." He observed. "You too, Glenda."

Both witches smiled at him. "Spike." Willow began.

He held up a hand to stop the barrage of babble he knew would come his way if he let her get started. "Don't worry about it. As long as we're good I'm happy." He smiled. He immediately became the center in a female group hug as all three surrounded and enveloped him. Contentment filled his unbeating heart, all was good again.

Finis

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Epilogue: At the end of that week Giles went to England feeling that he was no longer needed in Sunnydale. That night Willow and the other Scoobies resurrected Buffy setting off a chain of events that would turn all their lives upside down. Spike was kicked to the curb and he moved back into the crypt, all of his efforts over the past months forgotten in one fateful day.

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A/N: All events in season six continue as before until the end of 'As You Were'. The sequel will take it from there. Which, unhappily, will be a while in writing as I have to deal with the disaster area known as my house.

I didn't know any of those people still had issues with Buffy's death until the words showed up on the computer screen. Spike was supposed to have a night terror with the magic cat. Guess the cat didn't want to come out to play. Bet you all thought I was going to do a big magical meltdown scene where Giles and Wesley do a big mojo containment ritual. Was going to but Spike didn't want to do it that way. Again, who am I to argue?

Sorry about the previous chapter, I found out that I suck at fight scenes so I have a lot of work to do before I get to the end of the sequel. Thanks for reading. Rock on everyone!


	9. Please Let Me Know

Okay. Here's the thing. I have the sequel for The Trouble With Magic started. Chapter one is pretty much complete. It's long so I may make it into two chapters. But it seems that there isn't much interest out there for it. Does anyone want me to post it? I hate coming off like a needy little bloodsucker but I would like to know if anyone is reading my forays into insanity. I know I said it would take a while but at this point my house is still a disaster and these people wouldn't leave me alone long enough to clean it. So it's there if you want it, do you?

Note for Sibling Creature, in season six during 'After Life' it goes something like this:

Buffy: How long was I gone?

Spike: One hundred forty seven days yesterday, one hundred forty eight today. But I guess today doesn't count now, does it?

If you divide 147 by 30 you get 4.9 months give or take a day or too. Also, the events of The Gift seem to be around May and Buffy comes back shortly before Halloween. Also equaling somewhere around five months. It was only three months for us poor souls stuck in this universe they think is reality.


End file.
